


Destiny of Ancients

by voltagelisa



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Biting, Dominance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:08:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 33
Words: 114,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/764976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voltagelisa/pseuds/voltagelisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when the past meets the future of his kind? What happens when a girls learns about herself?<br/>This is a story of Aaran Shepard and her life through Mass Effect 1-3</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

**PROLOGUE – Chapter 1**

**_2152 - Alliance science team investigating a Prothean city on the inhabited planet of Antibaar._ **

“Amanda, you need rest. You can’t stay down here all night,” Brad said tiredly. Every night he had to remind her to sleep. He didn’t know why he did it; he wasn’t getting paid to babysit her, after all. His only job was to protect the team while they excavated the prothean ruins. He worked for the Alliance, however, and so he was forced to argue with the most stubborn woman he’d ever met. Some days he wanted to strangle her and others he wanted to kick her ass.   

“We need to get these tests done as they have to be shipped out tomorrow. And I have to get things ready for the meeting in the morning,” Amanda muttered, glaring at Brad. She still didn’t understand why the Alliance insisted that the soldier accompany them on this mission. She had a good team and they were dedicated to their jobs. They hadn’t found any of the dangers the Alliance had been concerned about, and therefore she had no use for Brad.

“Dr. Shepard, I insist that you return to the camp,” Brad ordered, making sure his voice was cold and commanding. This woman annoyed him like no other. She never listened to him and thought she was his boss. He couldn’t say much, however, since she was in charge of the dig site. 

“That’s not happening until I am done here,” she snarled, turning her back to the man. She took another scan of the stasis pod they’d located in the ruins earlier in the day. She couldn’t believe the results that she was receiving. It made no sense. In fact,  it should be impossible. Her scans indicated that there was a living prothean inside the stasis pod, but that race had been extinct for nearly 50,000 years.

She dodged the incoming hand that made to grab her arm. Without thinking she turned into Brad and brought up her fist; connecting squarely with his nose. “I am staying and that is final!” she bit out coldly. Her eyes narrowed into lethal slits, clearly warning him not to push his luck.

“Fine. I’ll leave you here on your own and head back to the camp,” he growled before storming away. He gave her one last scowl and glanced at the pod with a shake of his head. He couldn’t believe the gall of the woman. She was impossible.

She released a sigh of relief when he departed. She finally had the silence she needed to concentrate on her work. She wanted all her readings to be done before the day crew returned in the morning for their shift. Besides, she was far too excited to go to bed at this point. She knew she would only pace her room, wanting to return as soon as she could. She once more gaped at the readings.  A living prothean… It just didn’t seem possible. She couldn’t wait to release the being from the stasis pod and inform the Alliance of their miraculous find. She didn’t care about the fame. The knowledge they would receive from the prothean was the only reward that mattered. She couldn’t wait to learn from the ancient race and share with them all that she knew, as well.

~ooooooooooooo~

The explosion still rang in her ears and her head hurt. She lay on the ground where she had been thrown and looked around desperately. Her team lay dead not far away. Brad’s sightless eyes were open wide. Blood trickled from his mouth, making her skin crawl. She still couldn’t determine what had gone wrong. Her team had been deciding what to do with that stasis pod when a loud explosion shook the room. Rocks fell from the roof and people screamed in fear and pain. The rumbling settled, and her dead teammates lay all around her. She and the stasis pod were the only things that remained unharmed. She wondered if they’d tripped some kind of protection device in the ruins or if they had been the victims of sabotage. She didn’t know and it scared her. Just the thought that it could have been sabotage made her ire rise.

She stared at that pod, still wondering how she’d survived. She didn’t understand how it was possible; the explosion should have taken her life. Instead she now lay on the ground, staring stupidly at the pod. The lid was broken and a gaping hole had developed in the case. She could see the prothean and fear ran through her. Elation soon followed - a living, breathing prothean lay right in front of her. His face was still frozen from the prolonged stasis. She wondered if he would live, and what would happen if he did.

She was trapped on this planet. She was pretty sure that the explosion had ruined their communications console. She rose from the ground and slowly approached the stasis pod, kneeling down beside it. She lightly touched the prothean and a rapid series of images began spinning through her mind. As she struggled to make sense of the pictures, the world around her slowly faded to black…

Amanda’s eyes slowly opened, her skin flushed with warmth for the first time since she’d arrive on Antibaar. She warily glanced around, noticing that this area of the ruins wasn’t as dilapidated as the location in which they’d found the pod. Her senses came alert when she felt movement nearby and she glanced around nervously. Fear raced through her as she realized that she had no gun with which to protect herself.

She swallowed thickly as the sounds of movement came closer. She gazed up into the eyes of the prothean. He had four eyes, with two pupils in each, and he was staring down at her intently. His clothing seemed more comfortable than functional, and showed no signs of being armored. She couldn’t look away from his direct stare. He seemed to be viewing her very soul. She wasn’t sure what to do or if she was safe with this alien. While the Alliance had a rudimentary understanding of prothean technology, most of their culture remained a mystery.

“Lay still,” he ordered. “Your mind is still healing, trying to process the images it saw.” His voice was deep with a duel-toned, gravelly quality. She swallowed once more, this time for a very different reason. That voice washed over her, soothing her.

“What happened?” she asked quietly.

“It seems that your mind is not developed enough to handle the thought processes of the prothean people. You are still a primitive race,” he answered, his voice thick with superiority. Her eyes narrowed, the tone of his voice irritating her.

“Then it was your job as the superior race to figure that out before trying to lobotomize my brain,” Amanda replied disdainfully.

“I was not the one touching a strange alien while he was comatose,” the stranger stated.

“How is it that I understand you?” Amanda asked in awe. “I was certain that the protheans had their own language.”  

“We do, but we have ways to understand your primitive language,” he said with a smirk. She scowled at him and let out a frustrated growl.

She watched as his eyes widened. Something like mirth covered his features for a moment before falling once more behind a stoic mask. Slowly she sat up, her eyes never leaving the alien’s. “So, since we are stuck here, what do I call you?” Amanda asked, trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice.

“I am known as Aaran. I am a Prothean High Councilor. At least I once was. I take it that I am the only one who survived the Reaper attack in the stasis pods?” he asked, sadness entering his eyes as he gazed around at the crumbling buildings. The knowledge that there were no other survivors was apparent in his eyes. She didn’t need to answer - he already knew.

“What do you mean by the Reaper attack?” Amanda asked, watching him curiously. She had never heard of the Reapers. She hoped she never met them, herself. If they could wipe out the protheans then they could easily destroy her own people.  

“They are a species that lives within dark space,” Aaran explained. “They invade our worlds every 50,000 years and eradicate all advanced life. Our seat of power was the first to be attacked. Those on the Citadel had no warning when they came. To my knowledge we had understanding that this could happen. A new Council was quickly set up – my predecessors. They were hidden here. As the first century following the invasion passed, I took my place among the Council as High Councilor. We had a full population here - scientists, warriors, artists, and many more. Antibaar was one the last places of refuge for my people. Eden Prime was the very last. During my time the bunker on Eden Prime was finally completed. I’m not sure what happened there. I was sent into stasis before we heard any news.” His face a mask of sadness, he turned and walked away.

Amanda had a very hard time swallowing what she had just been told, but it didn’t matter. They needed to find a way off this planet, back to civilization. All races would need to meet this alien. She needed to get him out of here and to a science lab where the proper people could question him. If he was as high standing within his people as he indicated, they could learn a lot from him. Maybe all their questions would be answered.  

~oooooooooo~

Six months passed and they still didn’t have a signal strong enough to contact any nearby ships. She learnt a lot about prothean culture and she liked none of it. As far as she was concerned they were bullies. She wasn’t sure what to make of the man with whom she shared her days. He seemed so sure of himself and his superiority complex drove her insane most of the time. She didn’t know how many times they argued, or how often he would speak in his native language just to piss her off. She was beginning to understand why his people were now extinct.  

She couldn’t understand why he purposely tried to piss her off. When he watched her, it reminded her of a predator watching its prey. She found that amusing. She should have been scared, but she wasn’t. She couldn’t explain why she wasn’t nor was she going to dwell on it.

Aaran’s people, she discovered, were warriors, trained at a young age to fight. It didn’t matter what position they held in life, they still needed to know how to fight. She found that out when he took her hunting for food. It wasn’t a long trip; even with the primitive weapon he made, he’d quickly killed and skinned the food.  She saw the animals he killed and worried about the area they had made their home. What if these creatures were the smallest versions of the native wildlife? She didn’t want to find out if they came in bigger sizes; at least not first hand. She was a scientist, not a warrior. She’d never held or fired a gun and that wasn’t about to change. But it didn’t matter. He could do the hunting.  

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooooo~

Another month went by with no contact. The radio had been working for a couple of weeks, but it seemed that no one was listening. During their time together, Amanda discovered the reason that Aaran taunted her so frequently. His actions were part of the prothean courting rituals. He liked to say that he needed to rebuild his race and she was the only female near enough to participate. She didn’t think it was even possible, but her mind screamed at her to take him up on the offer. She thought about it a few times, but never did anything to instigate a confrontation. She wanted him – there was no denying it. His dominating mannerisms exuded a raw sexuality. He challenged her, calling to a primitive part of her psyche. The only thing keeping her away was his insistence that they reproduce. That part she didn’t want.

They’d been alone for several months when she finally accepted his offer. After all, he had been celibate for nearly fifty thousand years, and she was desperately attracted to him. She didn’t see anything wrong with bedding him, though she knew they would never have a long-term relationship.

The night started like any other, with a furious argument. In the heat of the moment, she lost her temper and struck him. As soon as her fist hit home she regretted it; not because of his reaction, but because she’d lost control and attacked another living being. His reaction wasn’t what she expected. He growled low in his throat and began stalking her move for move. His actions called to a primitive part of her body that most humans hadn’t tapped into for thousands of years. They stalked each other, matching step for step. Then flesh met flesh, her mouth seeking his. His hands were on her body, reading her desire for him. They came together roughly; a heated mixture of teeth and nails that left no room for finesse. Their bodies did the talking and they allowed it. She hadn’t thought it would be possible with their physical differences. Never had she been happier to be wrong.

That night she discovered the joy of primal urges. She didn’t hold back - she clawed, bit and screamed her pleasure. He touched something deep within her, something no one had ever touched before. She couldn’t tear her gaze from his as she met him thrust for thrust. Her back bowed when she felt him reach his own peak. His eyes never left hers, even as he lost himself to his own pleasure. They stayed that way for a long time, locked together in a blissful embrace.  

He didn’t say a word as they moved apart. She was surprised when he took a seat beside her as she lay on her bed, almost like he was guarding her. Lightly she reached out and touched his lower back, curious to see if this area was as hard as most of his body. It wasn’t. It was leathery and supple. She was startled when she heard him begin to softly purr. Hesitantly she looked up and saw that he was watching her intently.

She sat up slowly, unsure of how he’d react to her actions. His customs were so different from that of humans. They were more primal, like that of the turian race.

His purring grew louder as she rested her head against his hard shoulder. She wished that she could make the same sounds to show her pleasure, but humans weren’t made for that. Then she realized that he already knew. She was touching him, so he knew everything that she was thinking. That fact helped her relax, but it also made her blush. Her thoughts were turning toward their recent activities - wanting more.  

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooooo~

Another month went by without any contact from the Alliance. She was beginning to get concerned. She no longer wanted the scientists to get their hands on Aaran. They’d become lovers. Every night they would go to bed and allow their desires to rule them. Against all better judgment, she knew she was falling in love with him. It seemed so impossible – the man of her dreams turned out to be an alien from an ancient race.

She stared up at the now familiar sky, waiting for her lover to come back. Her gaze snapped to the radio as it crackled for a moment. Then she heard the first human voice she’d encountered in many months. Fear and elation filled her as she rushed to the radio.

“Amanda Shepard, is that you?” It took her only a moment to recognize the caller. It was the pilot that originally flew them to the planet.

“Yes, where are you?” she asked hastily.

“Three days out. Picking you up at our original coordinates,” he told her. She didn’t even know how to get there from her current location. She had been unconscious when Aaran moved her from the site of the explosion.

“Roger that. See you in three days’ time,” she said before cutting the communication. Now fear had her in its grip. What was she supposed to do with Aaran?

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooo~

In the end it didn’t matter. Aaran had taken her to the landing coordinates, but he lost his life in the process. A thresher maw broke through the crust of the ground, blocking their path. Aaran ran toward it, giving her time to get away. She ran, trying to keep them in sight. She watched in horror as the thresher maw snagged him in its mouth. He didn’t scream, and she saw a flash of silver as he took his own life. She turned away as the gigantic beast swallowed him. It was over.

She reached the landing zone as the shuttled landed. With sad eyes she told them what happened to the team, and about the thresher maw. She saw the sympathy in their eyes as they loaded her onboard the shuttle. She didn’t tell them about Aaran, or the seven months they’d shared.

She leaned her head against the cold metal of the shuttle as they flew away. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the disappearing planet. As far as anyone knew, the mission was a failure. But it gave her a new perspective on life and something to hold onto - a memory that she would never forget.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooo~

**8 months later**

She smiled down at the small girl in her arms. She had vibrant green eyes, with midnight black hair and dark skin. The child watched her intently, reminding Amanda of the man who was her father. She looked nothing like him and none of the things she loved about him where there. She looked like most of humanity and no one would ever know that she was the offspring of a prothean and a human.

But she knew that was a lie. There was something of Aaran within her child. She could touch her daughter’s bare skin and flashes of images would come to her; not as potent as Aaron’s, but still strong enough that it was disorienting. They said she was a unique human - gifted. The doctors suggested that she be sent to a specialized school when she was four or five years of age. There was no way she was going to allow that.

A few weeks later Amanda handed in her resignation to the Alliance and left earth for another destination far away. Somewhere she could start fresh, where her daughter wouldn’t be in danger. She stared at the bundle in her arms and smiled. “You are special, my Aaran,” she whispered softly as she boarded the ship that would take her to Mindoir.


	2. A New Beginning

“Hey mom, can we go to the Citadel again?” Aaran asked, smiling impishly at her mother. She could sense her mother’s apprehension and fear. She didn’t understand how it worked, but it was very easy for her to read peoples’ emotions. She knew she was different from the other kids. Her sense of sight and smell was far superior to her friends. She could tell when someone was lying to her just by the change in the scent of their body. Her mother taught her at a young age to keep her unique attributes a secret. She didn’t know how many times she had beenreprimanded for doing things that humans don’t normally do. Humans didn’t growl or hiss, nor did they purr; and most of all, they weren’t able to read people when they touched them. She had been lectured about this since she could understand the words being said. It was one thing her mother was very adamant about. She didn’t understand why, but accepted it; it’s not as if she had a choice in the matter. As far as she or anyone else was concerned, she was human and nothing more.  Her mother never told her about her father, and it usually didn’t matter; but sometimes she wondered about him. She probably shouldn’t care, as he had never been a part of her life. She didn’t know if it was because he didn’t care or if he was dead. Her mother never talked about him and when she did say something it was in as few words as possible.

Now her mother had a man in her life that wasn’t her father. Aaran didn’t dislike him, but to her he smelled off, sick, weak. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but there was something wrong with him. She kept her mouth shut because her mother was happy, but she never took her eyes off of him. It’s not as if she thought he would do something, but his scent warned her away from him. She’d once touched him and images of doctors, pain and despair filled her mind. That was the last time she touched him or stood close to him. Her mother had questioned it once, but Aaran had told her to leave it be. It was never discussed again.

“No, we aren’t going for a while,” her mother stated.

“Come on, mom. We haven’t been there in a long time. This place is so boring,” Aaran complained with a smirk. She loved getting her mother going. Her green eyes would turn a stormy color and she would give off a dominant scent even though she didn’t know it. Amanda Shepard was a leader in her own way, but she never showed it. She allowed others to lead. Aaran couldn’t do that. When she was with her friends she had to lead; if she didn’t, something deep within her pushed her to take the lead.

“Aaran Shepard, I said no!” her mother snapped. She knew not to push anymore, but she gave her mother a challenging look that made the older woman shake her head. “You are so much like your father, you know that? He would give me that same look, always challenging,” her mother murmured, her eyes filled with sadness.

“Who was my father?” Aaran asked curiously. It wasn’t often that her mother talked about her father. All she knew was that she was named after him and that she had some of his traits. Aaran was now sixteen and she had a strong desire to know more about the mysterious man whose name she’d been given.

“He was a good, strong man. One of a kind you could say,” her mother answered with sly amusement. Aaran knew there were more to those words. She could feel sadness and something else below it that spoke of deception.

“You know I deserve a proper answer. I’m his daughter and I know nothing about him,” Aaran snapped coolly, tired of playing games.

“Yes, you do deserve it, but it doesn’t matter. You’ll never meet him, nor will you ever be able to learn more about yourself from him and his race. So I would suggest you leave it be. There is nothing other than pain to be found if you go looking for answers,” her mother whispered.

“Where is my father?” Aaran asked, not backing down even though she saw the sadness in her mother’s eyes.

“Dead,” her mother answered coldly. Aaran knew it was time to drop the subject. She watched as a calm expression fell over Amanda’s face. It was something Aaran was used to seeing. One moment her mother would be close to tears and the next she would be completely in control of her emotions. 

Well she now had part of the answer. She was a hybrid, but of what race? Humans couldn’t conceive children with many of the races out there; turian, krogans, drells and salarians, specifically. Though she never knew why a human would want to bed a krogan or salarian, anyway. Most compatible races wouldn’t have given her the unique abilities that she had. Her biotics were slightly different, even though her mother had never been exposed to eezo before. That was the really odd thing - she was a biotic and a strong one, but had never been near eezo.

She sighed and turned her attention to the sky over her mother’s shoulder. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a ship coming in for a landing. “Mom, are we expecting any shipments today?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the ship. Her instincts told her that danger was arriving on that vessel.

“No, not for another three days,” her mother answered, squinting up at the sky.

“Then why is that ship here?” Aaran asked, her voice turning cold as the warning got stronger. She pointed toward the ship and wondered if her mother could see it.

“I can barely see it. Can you tell if it’s an Alliance vessel?” her mother asked. Aaran could feel her unease like insects crawling across her skin.

“No, not from this distance, but the shape is wrong for Alliance,” Aaran murmured as she stared hard at the ship. She glanced around and noticed that no one else seemed to notice the arrivals. She shook her head at how trusting the people here were; they should be more alert, but they weren’t.

“Aaran, you need to leave! Go to the bush and stay there,” her mother ordered, her eyes bright with fear. It was the first time she had heard her mother take that tone with her.

“No, I’m not leaving you,” Aaran snapped. There was no way she would leave her mother here to fight on her own. She couldn’t do it, no matter what tone her mother used.

“Aaran, you have to do this,” her mother pleaded. Her eyes were now wide with fear.

“No, I’m not leaving,” Aaran stated coldly before moving in front of her mother. She watched as the ship landed. Aaran could hear screams in the distance, but no one else seemed to be able to hear them. “We are in danger. There are screams coming from that direction,” Aaran murmured, pointing in the direction of the alien vessel. It wasn’t at the docking port, but closer to town.

She was about to drag her mother away when chaos erupted all around them. Bullets flew by and bodies dropped. Aaran watched as a group of batarians moved through the small town, snatching up children as they cried and screamed. Others went after the adults, shoving them into houses or behind sheds. She didn’t need to see what was happening to them - she could smell it and hear it. That sound made her want to scream her rage. She wanted to kill all of the aliens, but knew she couldn’t.

She didn’t know how she got to the shed, but she quickly realized that her mother wasn’t with her. Her mother’s scent clung to her and she realized that Amanda had dragged her into the shed while she was staring at the brutality happening around them. The batarians had just made an enemy and they would pay dearly someday for their attack.

Cries of pain and fear filled the air. The only cry that mattered was the one that she recognized – her mother’s. She wanted to get out and go to her mother to stop the screaming. Anger filled her at her helplessness; she hit the metal door and knew her mother had locked it from the outside. She snarled as she heard grunting and her mother’s cries. She didn’t need to see what was going on; she already knew. The scent of the batarian came to her. He would be the first to die by her hand - she swore the oath to herself. She closed her eyes when the sounds of the nearby struggle stopped. Silently she prayed that her mother was alive, but she knew it was a futile hope.  

It took forever for the other noises to die down. Aaran knew the batarians were still around, she could smell them. Her breathing stilled when the door began rattling on its hinges. She thought about hiding, but didn’t bother. She was going to escape. With a hiss, the door opened, showing two batarians. One of them she knew - she could smell him. It was the one who had been with her mother. She growled low, pushing them back with her biotics. She turned to the one that harmed her mother and allowed her biotics to envelope her hand. Without a second thought she hit him in the face for all she was worth. She felt bone and skin give way beneath her hand. She smirked coldly as she looked at the damage she’d caused. Quickly she glanced around and noticed that most of the town was dead or gone. She saw her mother lying in a pool of blood, not far from the door. Her eyes were wide open, her clothes torn, showing her body to everyone. Aaran stared at her for a few moments, memorizing what the batarians could do. She silently said goodbye as she raced toward the woods where no batarian would find her. She swore to herself that if any of the invaders found her, there was no way in hell they would take her alive.

She ran for all she was worth, seeing the bushes just on the other side of the fence. She came upon three more batarians as she rounded the corner of the shed in which she’d been held. She allowed her unnatural energy to ride her and shot it toward them. She watched as they stumbled, their movements slowing. It was enough for her purpose. She kicked the closest as hard as she could and heard the crunch of bone where she connected. She shoulder-checked the second into the closest wall. He dropped, not moving. She picked up a nearby gun and fired at the third. It was the first time in her life that she’d ever discharged a weapon. The bullet took him between the eyes. She turned to the other two and placed a bullet in each of their heads. With a final glance at the town she raced away.   

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooo~

She stayed in the woods, keeping the town in her sights. She kept a very close eye on the skies, hoping that no further invaders would arrive. Time passed slowly. She watched as the batarians moved about the small city, herding everyone into the center of town. She was surprised that there were so many villagers left; more than half the town was there. She bowed her head as she watched some of them being forced onto the nearby ship. The rest were forced to remain together in the town square. For the next several days she remained hidden from view; her hatred for the slavers growing with each moment that passed. Finally, she heard the faint sounds of a shuttle engine. Her eyes swept the sky and she watched two ships land away from the village. A sneering smile creased her mouth when she saw that they were Alliance. _Better late than never,_ she thought snidely.

She didn’t flinch when she heard gunfire. A cold smile lit her face as she watched batarian after batarian fall. Slowly she made her way out of her hiding spot and walked once more into the streets of the town. She saw men dressed in armor shooting at the last of the batarians. She felt nothing when they fell. She didn’t flinch; the sight of so much blood had absolutely no effect on her. These aliens had taken everything from her. She didn’t bother ducking for cover as she neared the firefight. Instead she walked over to her mother’s body and sat down on the blood drenched ground. Tears blurred her vision and the first sob took her. Yet still she felt nothing. It made no sense that she was crying when there was no emotion behind it.

She didn’t flinch when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder, nor did she look up to see to whom it belonged. She didn’t need to. Flashes of the man’s life swept through her. _He had seen so much death in his years of service to the Alliance._ She finally looked up when he removed his hand. He was older, his skin very dark, with dark brown, compassionate eyes that gazed at her with understanding.

“Who are you?” he asked kindly. She rose to her feet and looked him squarely in the eyes.

“Aaran Shepard,” she answered, her voice strong and sure; despite the horrors she’d witnessed over the last several days.

“I’m Commander Anderson. I need you to follow me to the Alliance shuttles where you’ll be safe,” he told her. She was glad he didn’t make it an order. Right now she couldn’t take orders. She wanted vengeance.

“No. Not until my mother is properly buried,” Aaran stated coolly.

Anderson was shocked at the calm demeanor of the young girl. She wasn’t hysterical or wrathful. She was cold and in control, even after everything she’d been through. She reminded him of the soldiers under his command. He looked at her thoughtfully, wondering if he should act on his current train of thought.

“Commander, found more batarians. It looks like the colonists were able to get a few of them,” a soldier stated with a grin.

“Where were they found?” Aaran asked calmly.

“Five were found dead by a shack near the bushes,” the soldier answered, looking at her in confusion.

“You’re welcome,” she said with a grim smile.

Her eyes narrowed as the man laughed. “You’re telling me that a kid like you took them down?” he scoffed, looking at her with amusement.

“Yes I did. Don’t believe me? Need proof?” she asked when she saw that Anderson didn’t believe her, either. She walked over to the closest batarian, allowing her biotics to flow over her hand. She hit the batarian in the face. She watched as the bones crumbled under the impact of her blow. It was a dead batarian, but she wished that he had been alive and could feel the pain. “As for shooting, today was the first day I’ve ever held a gun. My mother didn’t believe in weapons,” she stated, nodding toward the gun at the soldier’s side.

“Let her test it out,” Anderson ordered his lieutenant, curious to see what the girl could do. They watched as she fired at a dead batarian on the other side of the yard. Anderson nodded to the soldier and watched intently as he trotted over to see how she’d done.

Anderson lifted a questioning brow when the lieutenant stood beside him once more. “Every shot hit the batarian in the head, sir,” the man answered, eyeing the girl critically. He had to admit that he was impressed with what he’d just witnessed. He nodded to her when she returned his weapon. 

“Lieutenant, keep searching the area for survivors,” Anderson ordered when he noticed the interaction between the lieutenant and Aaran Shepard.

“You won’t find any. Most of them were taken, and those that weren’t are dead,” Aaran stated, returning to her mother. After a quick burial, she walked toward one of the shuttles. She didn’t say a word to the shocked soldier guarding the shuttle as she climbed in. She took a seat in the far corner and waited. She noticed a few other survivors being escorted to another shuttle. Absently she wondered if she’d entered the wrong vessel. As far as she was concerned it didn’t really matter.  

Time passed as she waited for the soldiers to finish their sweep of the town. She glanced up as the soldiers started climbing into the shuttle. They all glanced her way and spoke quietly amongst themselves; unaware that she could hear every word.

_“She shot a Batarian from across the yard; hit it right between the eyes,” one soldier said._

_“Did you see the other ones that didn’t get shot? One still glowed with that odd energy. I would have said it was biotics, but I have never seen anything like it,” another soldier whispered._

_“She a powerful biotic. Anderson and I got to watch her use her power,” the one soldier she met commented._

_“Who is she? Does anyone know?”_

“Aaran Shepard, that’s who I am,” she told them, meeting the eyes of the soldier that asked. She smirked as his eyes widened from across the shuttle. She heard another swallow nervously and glanced at him. She could smell his fear and uncertainty.

Anderson sat silently, listening to the whispers. He was surprised that she heard them from across the shuttle. With all the noise he thought for sure that she wouldn’t have heard; that was why he allowed it. Her response had silenced all conversations. He saw the nervous looks and blushes from the ones who had been whispering.

“You mean to tell me you heard our comments?” the lieutenant asked. Anderson groaned. Darrell was never one to skirt an issue. If there was something that he didn’t understand, he questioned it until he received an acceptable answer. He was one of his best soldiers, but he had one downfall. He thought he was invincible.

“Yes. For some unknown reason I have acute hearing. Trust me, it’s not the greatest gift. There are times I wish I couldn’t hear so well,” Aaran muttered, blushing as she thought of those moments. She watched as the man’s brow rose, but she couldn’t meet his eyes.

Anderson saw his men relax when they saw the young girl blush and look away. Anderson was amused and still shocked that she was handling recent events so well. He didn’t understand it and it worried him, but there was nothing he could do about it for the moment.

He had already decided to send this girl for training with the Alliance. She would be a good soldier. He wouldn’t be shocked if she moved up the ranks quickly and made a name for herself.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran followed Anderson as he led her to the hospital for her examination. She didn’t say a word as they had her hop up onto one of the gurneys. She tried to block out all the whispered words about her and other patients. She glanced up when a shadow fell over her. A doctor with a kind smile looked down at her. “We need to take some blood and check you over for injuries. You’ll have to change into this gown,” he murmured as he passed her the garment.

“Would I have to change if I told you that I was fine?” she asked with a hopeful look.

“Yes. We still need to check you over,” he said firmly.

“Fine,” she grumbled and closed the drapes that surrounded the bed. Quickly she changed out of her blood stained clothes and slipped on the gown. She opened the drapes to see that the doctor was waiting for her. He had someone take her blood and then looked her over, not leaving an inch of her private. She was glad that he did everything quickly and efficiently, but she was still blushing.

“What’s your birth date?” the doctor asked.

“April 11th,  2154,” she answered automatically.

“Your blood tests came back with some oddities. Both of your parents were human?” he asked with a questioning brow.

“My mother was human, but I don’t know about my father. She hinted that he wasn’t, but I don’t know for sure,” she answered honestly.

“Well, since it will be hard to tell what other race your father is, the closest we can come up with is turian until we have a geneticist look over your blood work,” the doctor told her.

“So there’s no doubt that I am a hybrid?” she asked uncertainly.

“I can’t be positive, not until we know more. It may be your biotics that are confusing the results,” he answered patiently. “As far as we can see you have all the genetic markers of a human, but there seems to be something more added to it. It could be biotic in nature, but we won’t know until our geneticist looks at it. But if I were to guess, then yes, I would say that your father was turian,” he answered quietly.

She nodded numbly, not sure what to make of the information. With a sigh she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. It didn’t take long for sleep to claim her. The doctor watched as exhaustion took hold of her.

“Where is her blood work, doctor?” Anderson asked.

“Being tested. I gave it to my most trusted assistants and marked it as top priority. From what I saw, there is something different about her,” the doctor answered.

“We are placing you as her permanent doctor while she is with the Alliance,” Anderson told him with a nod of his head that left no room for argument.

“Thought as much. She’s only 16 years old. Are you sure you wish to enlist her so early? _Can_ you enlist her at this young age?” the doctor asked carefully.

“We aren’t enlisting, just training her,” Anderson reassured him as he looked down at the sleeping girl.

“I’ll notify you as soon as her blood work is done,” the doctor nodded before walking away. Anderson smiled gently at the sleeping girl before pulling the blankets more firmly around her. His smile grew softer as she shifted slightly and then curled into the blankets. With a final glance he left the hospital.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooooo~

Commander Anderson, Admiral Hackett, the doctor and the geneticist stood in a sound-proofed room. All recording devices in the room had been disabled. The blood work was back and Frank, the geneticist, had requested an emergency meeting.

“Why are we turning off all surveillance?” Hackett asked.

“It’s her blood. I finished looking at it,” Frank answered nervously. He didn’t know how to start this meeting without appearing to be insane. His conclusions were impossible, so impossible that it was far-fetched. He still didn’t believe what his tests showed.

“So what is it, doctor?” Hackett asked impatiently when Frank began shifting nervously in place.

“She is a hybrid, just as John thought,” he started and then cleared his throat nervously. “But he was wrong about the paternal race. It’s not turian. It’s prothean, sir,” he stated quickly.

“Come again, doctor? I thought I heard you say that her father was prothean,” Hackett muttered, shaking his head. He knew he had to be wrong. It was impossible.

“You heard right. Tests show that her father is prothean. Believe me, I ran those tests multiple times, not believing what I was seeing. But her DNA contains at least some of the material that we have identified as prothean,” he explained.

“Ok, let’s assume that she is half-prothean. What does that mean? What do we know of the race?” Hackett asked, his tone filled with confusion and disbelief.

“Her Prothean DNA is a surprise. The good news is that most of it is dormant and the chances are high that it may never waken. She is already in her late teens. We can assume that any prothean traits would already be obvious by now if they were planning to develop. It does appear, however, that her human DNA is being dominated by the prothean strain. As we already know, she does have some unusual abilities. John’s tests shows that she has acute hearing, eye sight and sense of smell. She is a biotic without implants and that must come from her prothean half,” Frank explained, watching their expressions.

“If she has all these abilities and only a small amount of her DNA is awake, what will she be like if all her prothean DNA asserts itself?” Hackett ask.

“We don’t know. We know next to nothing about protheans,” John intervened.

“There is more. She heals quicker than a human, but not by much. She is also stronger than most humans. I think that the dormant genes heighten the skills that she already has. Though I can’t say that for sure; it’s only a hypothetical guess,” Frank sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.

“So she is some sort of ‘super human’?” Hackett murmured.

“No, not ‘super human’. She can still be killed or injured. She’s more like an advanced human,” Frank stated sharply. He didn’t like where this was heading.

“ What percentage of her prothean DNA is active?” Anderson asked, for the first time giving voice to this discussion.

“About twenty percent,” Frank answered.    

“I want this secured. No one, and I mean NO ONE, is to see this!” Hackett hissed. “This doesn’t leave this room. From now on, Frank, you are to be the only one to take her blood and look at it. John, you are her doctor from here on out. No other can look at her.”

“What do we tell her?” John asked.

“Nothing. We can’t let this get out. If it does….” Hackett murmured with a sigh. He didn’t need to explain what Aaran would go through if her heritage was discovered. She would become a laboratory experiment, nothing more.   

Both physicians nodded, looking at him fearfully. They glanced at each other and knew they would never speak of what they knew to anyone. It was too dangerous - _way too dangerous_.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran woke up in a white room. She could hear people outside the room, scurrying about. She stared at the ceiling, not sure what was going to happen to her now that she was homeless.

Her eyes snapped to the door when it opened. Automatically she sat up and faced the four people that walked in. “I’m Admiral Hackett and this is John. He’ll be your doctor,” he said and motioned toward the doctor she’d met earlier. He was young with short brown hair and kind but firm eyes. From what she _saw_ of him she knew she could trust him.

Hackett continued, “This is Frank. He’s the geneticist that looked at your blood work.”

Shepard turned her attention to a short man with a receding hairline. He wore a white lab coat and held a datapad in his hand. “I looked over your blood work and found some interesting details. You are a hybrid, just as John thought,” he murmured.

“So what was my father? Turian?” Aaran asked softly, not quite sure that she wanted to know. She watched the doctor closely as his glance flicked to Admiral Hackett. The gesture made her wonder what was happening.

“Your father was turian,” Hackett stated in a firm voice.

Aaran’s eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “Don’t lie to me,” she warned, her voice turning cold. She noticed the startled looks the men exchanged.

“You’re right. We shouldn’t have lied. There are some abnormalities in your DNA results. For the moment, we are calling your father turian,” Hackett amended, giving her a shrewd look.

Aaran stared at him for a moment. She could smell a hint of a lie, but most of what he said was true. She decided to leave it alone. It wasn’t that important, anyway. “So what does that mean for me?” she asked. 

Her gaze turned to Commander Anderson when he cleared his throat. “Tomorrow you will be escorted to Admiral Hackett’s office. If you choose, you can start training early before joining the Alliance. I think you’d make a good soldier,” he murmured, watching as uncertainty spread across her face.

“And if I choose not to join and don’t wish to train?” she asked softly.

“That is your choice,” Hackett stated abruptly. The men exchanged more glances and she knew there was something more going on.

“Why do I have a feeling that isn’t true?” she asked coldly as she glared at them.

“It’s true, but your hybrid heritage, as well as your biotics, will mandate that the Alliance watch over you,” Hackett said, giving her a penetrating stare that sent most soldiers running. Aaran met that stare and didn’t back down from it.

“How did I know that was coming?” she muttered with a scowl. Without another word she turned her back to them and lay back down. Her mother would have realized that she didn’t want to talk anymore, but these people didn’t get it.

“Aaran, there is more we should discuss,” Anderson stated.

“No,” she snapped, looking over her shoulder at them with a scowl.  

“We’ll talk more later, then,” Hackett muttered, looking at the back of the girl worriedly.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooo~

Aaran stared out the window, sadness weighing heavily on her. She’d finally realized that everyone she’d ever cared for was gone. This time there was pain to go with the tears that fell. She thought back to her childhood, images of her mother flashing in her mind.

Through the tears she stared out the window at the traffic that passed by. She was in a new world, a place she didn’t know, and strangers surrounded her. She couldn’t believe how quickly her life had changed. It was almost too much. She scowled when that thought popped into her mind. She sounded like a quitter, and she wasn’t. Her mother didn’t raise her to be a quitter; she raised her to keep fighting no matter how tough things appeared to be. She gave an angry hiss, silently scolding herself for her momentary weakness. She was a fighter. She couldn’t think this little hiccup in her life was too much. It wasn’t. She was still alive, while others had died.

She thought about Hackett’s offer of training. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. It would give her a way to vent the frustrations she had. Something she couldn’t do on Mindoir. Her thoughts turned to the father she’d never known - a turian. She wondered what he was like and why her mother had kept his identity such a secret. It didn’t matter now; at least she had answers that her mother wouldn’t give her.

She looked up at the blue sky. “I promise, mom, I’ll be the best I can be. I’ll make you proud,” she whispered. Her mother always said that she was special. It was time to prove it.  


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Mass Effect 1**

The years flew by as Aaran trained in the Alliance military. At the age of eighteen they enlisted her formally. By the time she was twenty two she was fighting to save a colony in what the vids would eventually call the Skyllian Blitz. She earned the rank of commander after her outstanding performance in that engagement.

Her biotic prowess grew as her training continued. When the L2 implants were introduced to the biotics in the Alliance, she was the only one that hadn’t needed the device. Her official chart stated that she had been implanted with the later L3’s, of course.

Anderson was her commanding officer as well as a surrogate father. It was her doctor, however, who became her closest friend and confidante. John knew more about her innate abilities than anyone else. No other doctors were allowed to examine her and John was transferred with her whenever she received a new position. She had often questioned it, but the only answer she ever received was that Admiral Hackett wanted it that way.

Hackett… none other had earned her respect and loyalty in the same way that he had. She liked him right away and even spoke to him privately without rules and regulations. They would speak freely as friends, without military ears listening in.  

She was currently on shore leave. They always gave her time away after each mission she completed. When she returned a few days later, she would receive her next posting. She didn’t mind; it gave her a chance to wind down. Most of her missions were for the N7 unit and were considered top secret. Her position required her to work closely with other races and she was frequently placed with the turian military. She’d begun Vanguard training when she turned 16, but Hackett had insisted that there be modifications to the course of study. She was able to sneak and use a sniper rifle, which wasn’t the norm for Vanguards.  

She had to smile at how much her life had changed. On Mindoir she’d mostly interacted with humans, but out in space there was no limit to the number of species that she’d met. She’d never believed that she would be friends and allies with so many diverse cultures. Yet here she was, on speaking terms with even the Turian Councilor, Sparatus. She had met the diplomat through her turian ambassador. She’d always been told that she was part turian, and for that reason she interacted mostly with that race. She’d done several jobs for Detective Chellick of C-Sec on the Citadel and had been introduced to a turian Spectre names Nihlus while on a mission for the Alliance. Both humans and turians had been in attendance when she’d received her medal for the Skyllian Blitz. She’d been sure that she would be rejected by the turians for her mixed birth, and that was the case for some of the lower ranked officers. Those in high positions, however, always treated her with the utmost respect.

She turned her focus to her lover. She had two weeks off to spend with him. Her shore leave wasn’t usually this long. She watched him closely; he was engrossed in the movie they had been watching. She’d known him since she was sixteen, though they didn’t become lovers until after the Skyllian Blitz. The emotional recovery from the battle had been difficult and he’d been there for her. One thing led to another, and they’d become lovers. That was six years ago. This was the first and longest real relationship that Aaran ever had. He had a place not far from hers, but he never slept there. Her apartment was where they hid to get away from the hassles of work, and from prying eyes. It wasn’t a secret that she was of mixed birth, but most wanted to see her just so they could say they’d seen a hybrid. If it wasn’t for that reason, then it was her role as the Hero of Elysium that drew admirers. She wasn’t sure which was worse. She’d never wanted the fame that came from saving the colony.

She sighed contentedly, leaning her head on Pallin’s shoulder as she curled up to him. She still didn’t know what the movie was about, but it didn’t matter, as long as he was enjoying it. She glanced at the time, frowning when she saw how late it was. “I’m heading to bed,” she murmured, nuzzling the side of his face.

“I’ll be there shortly. I want to see the ending,” he murmured, nuzzling her back.

She climbed into bed, curling up to Pallin’s pillow with a sigh. Flashes of comfort and peace came to her when she touched his pillow and smelled his essence upon it. Blocking out the noise coming from her living room she let sleep claim her.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooo~

Ambassador Udina, humanity’s representative to the galactic community, sat behind his desk and glanced at the occupants of his office. Admiral Hackett, Captain Anderson and the turian ambassador stood nearby, debating a topic of utmost importance to the Council.

“Are you sure she’s the right choice?” Hackett asked once more.

“She’s the best. Shepard’s scores in most areas of her training are off the charts. The other areas are above average and that is without constant training. Look at what she did on Elysium. She held off a batarian attack on her own. She was able to rally the local population for support, but she had them well back from the actual fighting. Their only job was to kill any enemies that got past her.”

“What happened to her crew?” Udina asked.

“She didn’t have one. She was there visiting a friend when the attack occurred,” Hackett answered with a smirk as the human ambassador’s eyes widened.

“Then I’ll make the call,” Udina murmured, walking over to his communication terminal.

“Not so fast. You need my approval if you are to send Shepard on this mission,” the turian ambassador hissed, looking at them smugly. He had no use for humans. He was glad Aaran wasn’t just human. She was never as pushy as the rest of the race. He didn’t trust the soft skinned aliens.

“Then I would suggest that you make up your mind, Ambassador. Humanity needs Shepard,” Udina stated.

“She’s half turian. How will she help humanity forward when this fact is well known?” the turian ambassador asked with narrowed eyes.

“She may be half turian, but she looks human and has been working for the Alliance since she was eighteen. She has not done anything for the turians,” Udina snapped.

The turian ambassador glared at him, but kept his silence. He wasn’t about to tell him that Aaran had done work for the turians, salarians and asari. He smirked. The Council had been discussing her future as a Spectre, until the human politician had decided to stick his nose in it. If he would have kept quiet, humanity would have had a Spectre by now. He decided to step back. If Aaran needed his help, he was certain that she would come to him. “Fine, put her name forward; but if Aaran says that she doesn’t wish to do this, I will put a stop to it,” he stated coldly before storming out.

Anderson gave Hackett a pointed look. Hackett nodded and motioned for Anderson to follow him. “What is it?” Hackett asked.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to bring her on this mission? It’s a prothean beacon, after all,” Captain Anderson reminded him.

“I wouldn’t trust this to anyone else. Shepard is the best and if we want this to succeed, we need her. You remember what Frank said. The probability of her prothean side coming forth is miniscule, at best,” Hackett reminded him.

“I would still like to know how it is even possible that she has prothean DNA,” Anderson muttered.

“You and me both,” Hackett grumbled.

“What about the turian ambassador? Does he know the truth about her physical make-up?” Anderson asked.

“No, it’s classified information. No one other than you, John, Frank and I know. We can’t let it get out. It would be too dangerous for her,” Hackett stated coldly. “I’ll inform Shepard of the mission. You get the Normandy ready for departure.”

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooooooo~

Shepard stared down at the message she’d just received, her eyes narrowing when she noticed that it was from the human ambassador. Her concern was that she didn’t see any remarks from her turian ambassador. She found that odd and knew she needed to talk with him as soon as possible.

“Verani, I’ll be back shortly. I need to talk to the turian ambassador,” she murmured as she rose to her feet and moved up behind him. She leaned down, nipping his neck affectionately; smiling when she heard him purr.

She knew the turian ambassador would be in his office. He rarely left it. She wasn’t surprised when she was given immediate permission to enter. She grinned when she saw his desk piled high with paperwork. “I’m glad I am not you, or I would be having nightmares for a good week,” she joked as she took a seat.

“Aaran, good to see you. Something I can do for you?” he asked. It had taken him awhile to look past her human features and see her for the person that she really was. Now, however, he treated her as he would any other turian. In many ways he did more for her than any other turian. Not because he favored her, but because of the human ambassador. He loved making Udina unhappy.

“Yes. I just got a message from the human ambassador ordering me to report to a ship called the Normandy in the morning,” she stated, watching him carefully. “What I found odd is that your name wasn’t attached to the message. Do you know what’s going on?”

Dallin leaned back in his chair. “Do you have the message with you?” he asked. He read over the message quickly, his eyes narrowing. They had discussed the matter over week ago and she was only now being informed of her new mission. He let out a low growl showing his displeasure at how little time they had given her. His gaze turned toward her and he noticed the smirk on her face. Humans wouldn’t have been able to hear his growl, but he knew that she could.

“Didn’t I order you to take two weeks of leave?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

“You did, and I have one more week left,” she stated. Dallin hissed. He had told Udina about Shepard’s leave. He wondered what game the human was playing by demanding that she appear for duty so soon. The mission Aaran had just returned from had been dangerous and mentally taxing; hence the two week leave.

Now he wondered if he should tell her what was going on. He thought about pushing the humans to give her the full two week leave, but didn’t think it would be prudent.

“Dallin, what’s going on?” Aaran asked and sat back patiently, waiting for his answer. She noticed his pensive expression and wondered what was bothering him. Dallin never used her as a pawn, the way the humans often did. Meeting Pallin had been a power play so humans could have people in C-Sec.

“For the past three years the Council has been watching you closely. Each mission you’ve done to aid the alien races has been orchestrated by them. I and a few other people think you’re good enough to become a Spectre. The Council were about to make you a Spectre, but was delayed in their decision when the human ambassador interfered. You are now the human candidate. Nihlus will be doing your evaluation onboard the Normandy. You should have had this warning days ago, but the humans in charge have once again stepped in to mess it up,” he stated coldly. She knew he had no love for humans; not many turians did.

“Damn, so I’m another pawn again,” she hissed her annoyance. “Fine. I’ll board the Normandy and become a Spectre, but I’m not doing it for them. I’m doing it for myself.”

“Good. I would expect no less,” Dallin said with a smirk. “If you run into any problems don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Thanks. Now if only you could fully replace Udina, my life would be perfect,” she said with a grin. She gave him a small bow of respect and exited his office.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooo~

Aaran walked into their home. Verani was still seated at the table going over reports. He glanced up when he smelled her come near. “What’s going on?” he asked with a grin as she sauntered toward him.

“It looks like I’m being shipped out tomorrow morning. I’m to board the Normandy and Nihlus will be testing me as a Spectre candidate,” she announced with a grimace.

“They’re cutting your leave short,” he grumbled, worry lacing his words. “Are you going to be alright with that?”

Aaran sighed. Verani knew the details surrounding her last mission. It had been harrowing and gut-wrenching. She didn’t fault him for his concern; he’d been awakened by her nightmares more than once and always doing his best to sooth her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” she murmured reassuringly. She leaned down and nipped him on his neck, waiting for his rumble of pleasure. It didn’t take long for the rumble to come and she purred when she heard the sound. She chuckled as he tilted his further off to the side, giving her more access to his neck.  

Pallin growled, pulling her down onto his lap. He exposed his throat to her, not wanting her to stop. He purred when she backed away with a grin, her eyes flicking to his neck and then back up to his eyes. He leaned in, fluttering his mandibles against her soft skin, giving an approving chirp when she tilted her head back for him.  He didn’t bite her; he knew not to dominate her like a male turian would with his female mate.

She growled in warning when she felt his teeth against her neck. A light chuckle left him when he backed off. He waited with anticipation for her bite. She darted in quickly, biting his neck and breaking through the tough skin. She was thrilled when he growled and quickly threw her on the sofa. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t need to worry. He didn’t rise above her. Instead he kneeled between her legs with a mischievous look on his face.  She didn’t know why her instincts kicked in so strongly when someone took the dominant position with her. It happened every time, but usually Pallin had a way to thwart her instincts so that they didn’t become a problem. She bit off a squeal when he flipped them so that she was straddling his waist as he lay on his back idly with a grin. One hand lightly trailed along her stomach while the other held her back firmly in place.

“Not fair,” Aaran muttered with a smirk.

“All’s fair,” Pallin purred, sitting up and nipping her bottom lip carefully. Pallin watched her as his claws trailed lightly on her skin, leaving light marks. He was always so careful, even after six years together. He usually fought with himself not to lose control, but it wasn’t easy. Turians fought for dominance. They’d had their own fight but he hadn’t given it his all. It hadn’t been easy. Aaran may be stronger than the average human, but she wasn’t strong enough for a turian’s lusts.

He used his claw, slicing through the thin material of her pants so he could get to her. He rumbled softly as he found her already wet and ready for him. He watched as her eyes darkened and her scent surrounded them. He slowly moved his claw within her, moving gently as he felt her muscles clamp around him. He watched his mate come apart for him - the only time he would see it. While mating he never saw it; it just didn’t happen. He was pretty sure of the reason, but never voiced it. He always held back. There was nothing else he could do. He had allowed himself to become the submissive so he wouldn’t harm her. And because of that she wouldn’t allow herself to let go. Some nights it bothered him, but he understood what was happening. He just didn’t know how to fix it now. The only solution he could come up with was to be more aggressive, but he couldn’t do that with her. He cared too much and he was afraid of harming her.

It didn’t take long before she came apart, screaming his name. She heard his growl of pleasure. He grinned as she fell forward, her head resting on his shoulder as she recovered. 

Pallin’s breath held as she raised her head and met his eyes. He watched as she slowly travelled down his body, biting the softer areas, making sure she left marks as she did so. He felt her teeth sink into his flesh and had to fight not to flip her on her knees and drive himself into her until she begged. Over the years he let her believe that she was too rough for him. In a way it was true because he wouldn’t act on his instincts. If he was being true to himself, then he wouldn’t find her play rough. 

Aaran knew it would take time for those marks to heal. Sometimes she was too rough for him. He had admitted that, but it felt natural to her; she couldn’t hold herself back. She moaned low when she took him in her mouth, holding his gaze as she began to suck.

Pallin groaned, never taking his eyes off of hers. He knew he had to stop her soon or she would have to swallow his release. He groaned loudly when her hand snaked into the pouch that usually hid him from view. A hiss escaped him when he felt her lightly touch his tender testicles. The pleasure was too much; he spilled himself into her mouth and waited to see what she would do.

“Hmm, yummy,” she purred then allowed her biotics to flare over them, arousing him once more. When she felt him harden again, she took him within her harshly; their bodies loudly slapping together. She reveled in the noises coming from her lover. She wanted to hear him cry out her name. She moved, slamming her body down onto him each time. She could feel him growing larger and knew that he wouldn’t last much longer. It wouldn’t be the first or last time that she didn’t come when they were joined together so intimately. He wasn’t dominant enough for her to find true pleasure, but she’d learnt to accept it.

She smiled softly as he shouted her name. It was what she wanted before she left for the mission. She rolled off to the side and curled up to him as he recovered.

Aaran lifted her head, feeling the disappointment coming from him. The last thing she wanted was to feel his disappointment. She knew it bothered him that she never found her release while mating with him. But it was something that she couldn’t control. She didn’t quite understand it, but accepted it. She knew it had to do with dominance, but could never understand the reason.

“Don’t be disappointed. I’m not,” she murmured as she watched him.

“Aaran…” she didn’t give him time to finish that thought. She knew what he was going to say.

She ran her tongue along his mandible and the seam of his mouth. “I can still taste myself on you, so I would say I had a good time,” she purred.

Pallin stared at her and slowly smiled. She was right. He always made sure that she found her release. He decided to leave it for now. Later they could discuss it more, but this was her last night with him for a while and he wanted her to be happy.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooooo~

Shepard walked onto the docking bay, her eyes widening as gazed up at the ship. Even from the outside it was amazing. She walked over to the airlock. “Commander Aaran Shepard, requesting permission to board,” she announced as she stood waiting for the decontamination scan to begin.

Joker’s eyes widened when he heard the name being announced. Every human knew that name. He swiveled in his chair to catch a glimpse of the Hero of Elysium. He was surprised by what he saw. He thought from all the stories that the woman would be large, built more like a man, but she was quite different from the image he’d conjured in his mind.

Her hair was black as midnight with a blue hue to it. She wore it in a ponytail that hung down her back. Her eyes were a bright green, and her sculpted face was flawless; as though she’d never seen a day of battle. Her figure was something, perfect as far as he was concerned. She had curves in the right places, and an ass that swayed back and forth as she moved. _Just perfect,_ he thought. She was at least five foot ten inches, taller than he was, and her legs appeared strong enough to crush him if she realized the places that his mind was wandering.   

“Ah, Shepard, here you are,” Anderson commented as he walked onto the CIC deck.

“Anderson, good to see you,” Shepard murmured as she walked over to him. “So why was I called out so abruptly?” she asked.

“You’ve had four days to plan this,” Anderson told her, looking confused.

Aaran laughed. “Don’t I wish. Didn’t get the call until last night,” she told him. “Plus I still had a week left on my shore leave.” Anderson eyes widened. That was short notice. He’d thought Hackett or Udina would have contacted her as soon as they made their decision.

“Sorry about that. I thought Hackett informed you. There is something else you should know. John won’t be here. His father just passed away. Dr. Chakwas will be taking his place,” Anderson told her worriedly. He hoped that the doctor had been briefed. He also prayed that Shepard wouldn’t discover their little secret.

“It doesn’t matter. One doctor is the same as the other, though I hope John is ok,” Shepard murmured. She followed Anderson toward the Medbay with her bag slung over her shoulder.

An older woman with greying hair met them inside the medical station. “You must be Dr. Chakwas,” Shepard declared, holding out her hand in greeting. The doctor grasped her hand and emotions flowed over her - certainty, curiosity, and a calm she had never felt before. Images of the woman’s life came to her and she knew she could trust her.

“Commander Shepard, a pleasure to meet you. Your medical records have already been sent over by Dr. John,” Chakwas murmured. She stood firm under the commander’s gaze even though it was unnerving. She’d been told that the young woman was a hybrid, but even that knowledge did prepare her for this meeting. It was as if Shepard could see through her body to her very core and knew all her secrets in an instant.

“Do you have any questions?” Shepard asked.

“None that I can think of at the moment. When you have a few minutes I will have to give you a physical exam. It is required for all new personnel,” Chakwas told her firmly.

“Fine. Once I am done with the tour I’ll head back here,” Shepard answered before walking out of the room; Captain Anderson close behind her.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooo~

Aaran sat across from Nihlus at the crew table. They had just finished their supper and were discussing the mission. “Dallin told you what is going on. He wasn’t supposed to,” Nihlus muttered, sitting back in his chair. Pallin’s scent was so strong on her that it burned his nose to be near her.

“And that is why I trust Dallin more than most politicians,” she stated coldly.

“If he keeps playing favorites, he will lose his seat,” Nihlus warned her. He still had hard time believing that Dallin actually like Shepard. He’d known Shepard long enough to realize that she would succeed in this test easily. There was something different about her that he couldn’t quite put a finger on. They told her she was half-turian, but he wasn’t sure about that. Her scent was too primal. Then there was her ability to read a person with only a touch. He wondered, not for the first time, if Shepard’s mother had found a new alien and mated with it, instead.  

“What do you think of the humans pushing for this?” she asked with a curious look.

“I have no problem with humans, unlike many other turians,” Nihlus told her.

“So what are we going after?” she asked. She kept her gaze sharp, watching his body language closely.

Nihlus was surprised that she didn’t know the full details of the mission. He’d thought for sure that Dallin would have told her the details after disclosing information about her test.

“That isn’t your concern yet, Aaran,” Nihlus muttered. He knew better than to try to lie. Aaran’s sense of smell was just as good as his.   

“More secrets, great,” she muttered, glaring at Nihlus.

“Isn’t that always the case?” Nihlus asked with a grin.

“Far too often. Usually it comes back to bite me on the ass,” she grumbled, trying to hide her smirk.

“You’re complaining about being bitten?” Nihlus mocked with innocent eyes.

“Don’t start. I still feel bad for the bite mark I left on Pallin,” she sighed, shaking her head. Bite mark was putting it mildly. She later found out that he had to see the doctor because of that particular moment of passion.

Nihlus kept silent. He knew she felt guilty. He also wished that he could tell her what was going on, but he had strict orders from the Council that he wasn’t supposed to; not until they reached Eden Prime and her final test.

“How many stops do we have?” she asked, changing the subject.

“One, but it will take us a few days to get there,” Nihlus answered and turned his attention back to the datapad in his hand. It was the mission parameters. The only unique aspect of the mission was judging Shepard’s competence in a fight.

Nihlus glanced up sharply, meeting Aaran’s eyes when he saw her hand moving toward him. “No cheating, either,” he scolded lightly with a smirk.

“You’re no fun,” she grumbled, moving her hand back to her lap.

“Oh I can be a lot of fun, but Pallin would kill me if I tried,” Nihlus grinned unrepentantly.

“You wouldn’t have to worry about Verani killing you. I would have that pleasure myself,” Aaran stated with an evil grin as she eyed Nihlus. She was amused when he shifted in his chair and couldn’t meet her eyes.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooo~

Shepard sat on one of the beds in the Medbay. Chakwas was looking over her test results and comparing them to the records that she’d been given. “How are you feeling?” Dr. Chakwas asked.

“Fine,” Shepard answered absently. She hated doctor’s offices. She normally avoided them except when she was seriously injured.

Chakwas stared at the data, her eyes narrowing when she noticed the record that stated that Shepard had the new L3 implants. Chakwas knew that she didn’t have any implants. So it was either a mistake, or Shepard wasn’t a biotic.

“What’s the problem?” Shepard asked.

“Just a few discrepancies that I will have to speak with Captain Anderson about,” Dr. Chakwas answered vaguely. Unfortunately that wasn’t the only discrepancy she’d found so far. There was also the fact it gave no information on Shepard’s biology or brain waves. Because of that, Chakwas had nothing to compare her own findings to. The information in the file wasn’t nearly as complete as it should be. She would have to speak with Captain Anderson very soon.

“Is there anything I can help answer?” Aaran asked.

“No, there is nothing you can do. I’m finished with my exam,” Chakwas answered before turning her back and walking over to her terminal. She sent a request to Captain Anderson and hoped he would come to see her before the Normandy left dock.

Shepard shook her head. This doctor was confusing. She walked into the mess hall and met up with Anderson. “What can you tell me about Dr. Chakwas?” Shepard asked before he could disappear.

“She’s an excellent doctor. She’s served under me a few times. Why do you ask?” Anderson asked and gave her a curious look.

“When she did my exam she said there were some discrepancies in my file,” Shepard answered with a shrug. Her attempt to be casual didn’t change the fact that the information had piqued her curiosity.

“I’ll speak with her,” Anderson muttered. Now he knew what the problem was, but he didn’t know how to deal with it. It wouldn’t be easy, not with Shepard onboard. Anderson shook his head. He knew they couldn’t lie to Shepard. She would know. So now he was at a loss. He had thought Chakwas would be informed of the situation, but Hackett must have changed his mind.

Anderson walked into Dr. Chakwas’ office after checking his messages. There had been one waiting with a file to give to the doctor. He hoped this would answer most of her questions. “Doctor, you’ll want to read this. It’s about Shepard,” he told her. He thought about leaving and letting her read it on her own, but decided to hold off.

Chakwas looked over the file, her eyes widening. She’d already read the warning and the crest that adorned the missive. She knew if she divulged any information in this file, the repercussions would be dire. There was no telling what would happen to her. She now understood what she was dealing with and still couldn’t believe it. The missing sections in Shepard’s file made more sense and the lack of implant was explained. Chakwas knew any medical reports she did of Shepard would have to be done properly, making sure certain things weren’t divulged. Now she wondered if Anderson knew what was in this file and if she could even discuss this with him.

“Do you have any questions?” Anderson asked as he shut off the surveillance in the room.

“How much in this file is known to you?” Chakwas asked bluntly.

“All of it. There are only five people who know that information, including you,” Anderson told her, keeping his voice authoritative.

“What about Shepard?” Chakwas asked.

“She thinks her father is turian. If I were you, I would never lie to her. She can smell it when you do. Regardless of that, she is to never know that her father was prothean,” Anderson stated coldly.

“I saw the warning on the datapad. I just need to know what she is aware of so that I don’t slip up,” Chakwas stated.

“Good, make sure of it. This is too important,” Anderson muttered before walking out.

Chakwas looked at the datapad once more before placing a lock on it and putting it inside her desk. She stared out the window at the woman sitting with the rest of the crew. She still couldn’t believe that woman was part prothean - a species that had helped them advance, and then vanished fifty thousand years ago, leaving only ruins and occasional technology behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Shepard stared at the beacon before her. She itched to touch it, to see what information it could provide. She knew technology didn’t work that way, but the thought crossed her mind, nonetheless. She had to shake her head at this mission. What was supposed to be a routine plan – land on the planet, collect the beacon and get out – had turned into a nightmare. They hadn’t even left the Normandy when they’d received a distress call from the Eden Prime settlement. They’d discovered geth swarming the planet when they landed; a situation not even the Spectre assigned to the ship could have imaged. They’d lost a young soldier not half an hour after touching down, and recruited another who’d lost her entire platoon to the synthetic enemies. Shepard had to admit that the young woman could fight. The worst part of the mission had been losing Nihlus to a rogue Spectre. A dock worker on the scene told her that a turian named Saren had killed him. She’d read from Nihlus’ body that Saren had actually been there; but since he’d had his back turned when the killing shot came, she couldn’t see his attacker. It didn’t matter - she knew Saren was guilty.

They were currently at the spaceport, waiting for the Normandy to pick them up and get them the hell off this planet. She prayed that nothing else would happen, but wasn’t confident that those prayers would be answered. She wouldn’t have been surprised if Saren turned around in that ship of his and blew up the beacon while they stood watching and waiting. She closed her eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. She wished Joker would hurry. The longer they waited, the greater the chance that something would go wrong. Her eyes snapped open when she felt panic fill the air. It was so thick that it nearly stole her breath. She glanced around Ashley, the new recruit, and saw Alenko being dragged toward the beacon by some unseen force. She reacted on instinct, throwing herself at Alenko and knocking him out of the way; allowing herself to take his place within the unknown energy.

The pull was immensely powerful. She thought for sure that it would hurt, but it didn’t. It was calming and soothing. It reminded her of home - so peaceful. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in the longest time, not since her mother was alive. Her eyes snapped wide as images were shown to her, embedding themselves in her mind. The images made no sense; they were broken, playing too quickly for her mind to comprehend. Pressure built in her head as the visions grew more vivid. Her mind couldn’t keep up with it and the world around her faded to black.

She knew she’d passed out, her body felt weightless, but the message had changed. She could see a pair of individuals hunched near a computer console and hear them talking, but didn’t understand a word of what was said.

 ** _"_** ** _Est_** ** _editi_** ** _parati_** ** _?"_** (Is the beacon ready?) _an unknown voice questioned._

 ** _"_** ** _Fere,_** ** _ego_** ** _inputting_** ** _ultima_** ** _serie_** ** _in_** ** _nunc_** ** _,_** ** _Commander_** ** _,"_** (Almost. I’m inputting the final sequence in now, Commander,) _was the response._

 ** _"_** ** _Perfice_** ** _cito_** ** _,_** ** _ergo_** ** _caput_** ** _tuum_** ** _vasculum_** ** _,"_** (Finish quickly, then head to your pod,) _the commander ordered brusquely._

**_"_ ** **_Immo,_ ** **_domine_ ** **_,"_ ** _(Yes, sir,) was the only reply as the individual continued his work._

_The Commander moved closer to the beacon and stared at it for a few moments._ ** _"_** ** _Hopefully quicumque invenit erit audire ad monitionem,"_** (Hopefully, whoever finds it will listen to the warning,) _he murmured out loud before running off._   

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooo~

Chakwas looked worriedly at the commander. She monitored her brain waves on a nearby screen and fear raced through her. She was out of her depth right now and wasn’t sure what she could do to help the soldier. Her brain waves were off the chart.

On a nearby cot, Aaran fought to wake from the beacon’s influence, but there were too many things to see. It was like a dream…

_Flashes of an alien race speaking, but she didn’t understand them. Their voices called to something deep within her. She could hear the fear in their voices - voices that soothed and calmed her. She could read the aliens’ expressions as if they were her own, but the message felt broken; as if there were pieces that she couldn’t see. What she saw made no sense. Synthetic beings fought against what she somehow knew were protheans._

_Something alien and yet familiar rose from deep within her. There was no fear of what was happening. It was as if some long sleeping part of her body was reawakening. It knew this message, understood the words. The people she saw called to something deep within her being._

_The alien commander had returned, covering people as they ran to the pods. He was shooting at things that looked similar to him, yet different._

The message stopped abruptly. Her eyes snapped open and she glanced around the room, acutely aware that she wasn’t alone. Her body was primed for combat, ready to strike at the danger she sensed. She glanced around quickly, cataloguing everything in a moment. Relaxation crept into her limbs when she saw that she was onboard the Normandy once more. She noticed Alenko standing at the end of her bed with Dr. Chakwas nearby; punching information into her computer.  

“Dr. Chakwas, she’s awake,” Kaidan murmured, looking at Shepard uncertainly. Fear slithered through him when he saw her eyes. They weren’t human eyes, nor were they turian. Where her eyes should be white, they were shaded a deep yellow mixed with red. Her black pupils stood out against the color. He knew he should call for Chakwas, but he was frozen in place. A sigh of relief escaped him as her eyes slowly changed back to the normal vibrant green that he was used to seeing.

“Good. Commander, how are you feeling?” Dr. Chakwas asked as she made her way over to the newly conscious woman.

“Fine, why?” Shepard asked suspiciously as she sat up on the bed, her gaze never leaving the doctor’s.

“You’ve been unconscious for nearly eighteen hours,” Chakwas told her. She wasn’t sure what else she could tell the commander without revealing the captain’s secret.

“The beacon, where is it?” Shepard asked almost frantically, fear and something even deeper filling her heart. It felt almost like longing. She desired to touch it again, to hear those people again. The images felt like home for her, if only for a short time.

“It was destroyed,” Alenko answered as he moved closer to the bed. “If I hadn’t…” he trailed off, not sure how to apologize for the mistake he’d made.

“You’re right. If you hadn’t moved toward an alien object it wouldn’t have been destroyed. But if it hadn’t been you, then it might easily have been someone here on the Normandy. Then the ship would have been in danger. It’s human nature to be curious, and that curiosity would have killed someone. Be thankful it happened down on the planet and not onboard the ship,” she stated coolly.

Kaidan wasn’t sure if her statement was a reprimand or praise. He decided not to comment and focused on something far more important. “It almost killed you,” Kaidan told her.

“No, it didn’t,” Shepard said firmly as she glared at him.

She hopped off the bed, taking a step toward him. She didn’t bother asking permission like she normally would have. Instead she grabbed his hand in a firm grip and allowed his thoughts to wash over her.

 _Curiosity welled up in him as he stared at the towering beacon. He allowed that curiosity to control him. His thoughts had been ‘what would the harm be?’ Then he felt himself caught in an energy field of some type and fear caught him when he realized that he was being pulled closer to the beacon. Relief washed over him when she’d knocked him out of harm’s way. The fear returned when she was caught up in the field, instead._ She searched for the images from the beacon and found nothing. 

_She lay on the ground and he knelt by her body. Worry and fear ate at him, as well as guilt. Below all that was an interest in her. He picked her up gently when the Normandy was in sight, holding her close as he carried her onto the ship. He raced to the Medbay and placed her on one of the beds. And there he’d remained until the moment she looked in his eyes._

Shepard broke the link with a hiss of warning as she stepped away from him. “Not interested, Human,” she snarled before turning her back to him.

Kaidan looked confused, unsure what had happened or what she meant by her words. He gave Chakwas a questioning look, but she appeared to be just as lost as he. “Where is the captain?” Shepard asked once she’d regained control of his anger.

“I’m right here,” Anderson answered as he stepped through the doors.

“Captain, once you are done here, I need to speak with you about something important,” Kaidan stated uncertainly. He glanced at Shepard once more, his confusion still showing.

“After I am done with Commander Shepard I’ll speak with you,” Anderson said tiredly. He wondered what could be so important and what had happened in the short time Shepard had been awake. He waited until the doors closed behind Chakwas and Alenko before turning to Shepard.

He sighed and leaned back against the desk. “This doesn’t look good. Nihlus is dead, the beacon is destroyed, and now there is a rogue Spectre on the loose,” Anderson muttered, shaking his head.

“I never said Saren went rogue. I stated in my report that a dock worker said those things and Nihlus’ body showed me what happened to him. There was a turian there and a shot was fired, but it didn’t show Saren as the one to commit the act. Nihlus had turned his back on Saren, trusting him,” Shepard snapped. The small control she had on her anger was quickly diminishing.

“What happened with the beacon?” Anderson asked calmly. He needed to know this information most of all, particularly given Shepard’s parentage.

“It showed a race at war with synthetics, but most of the message was broken up. There were words, but I didn’t understand them,” Shepard muttered with a shrug.

“Synthetics? Was there anything else?” Anderson asked softly, trying to coax the information from his second in command.

“What are you looking for, Anderson?” Shepard asked, giving him a knowing look.

Anderson sighed. He thought quickly and came up with a cover that wasn’t a lie. “With your unique abilities I was wondering if you might have seen anything else,” he muttered.

“My unique abilities? You mean the fact that I can see things from people when I touch them, if I want?” Shepard asked with a raised brow. She watched him nod. “No, nothing of importance,” she lied.

“Is there anything else you can tell me?” Anderson asked. He felt his age at this moment and it wasn’t pretty. Getting information out Shepard was like pulling teeth.

“Yes, Alenko is having dangerous thoughts that could harm him if he follows through with his lust,” Shepard stated coldly. She smirked as Anderson’s eyes widened.

“I know I am going to regret this, but what exactly do you mean?” he asked nervously.

“Alenko has an interest in me. Humans can barely be with me. Since I am a hybrid it makes my instincts more profound when it comes to that particular area. So the lieutenant would be in danger if he pushed the issue,” Shepard warned him.

“You know already there is no fraternization onboard the ship, Shepard, so I don’t think there is a worry,” Anderson answered. Now he felt like it was old times, when she was younger. She had always gone to him in cases like these, especially when she put a human in the hospital after trying to bed him. The man had started it, but got more than he’d bargained for.

“Anderson, you know better than that,” Shepard said with a smirk.

“You’re right. I’ll warn him of the dangers. After that, he’s on his own,” Anderson said. “How are you feeling? You seem touchier than normal.”

“My mind is still sorting out what I saw. That beacon - it called to something inside of me. For the first time since my mother died, I felt like I was home. It was like I knew those people I saw,” Aaran answered, and she allowed her eyes to show her emotions. She let him see her uncertainty, her fear and most of all, her yearning to have that feeling once more. She trusted Anderson. He was like a father figure to her.

“When we get back to the Citadel, go see Frank. He wanted to take some blood from you before you left, but things happened too fast for that,” Anderson said and started walking toward the door. “And, Aaran, it’s alright to have those feelings.” His declaration done, he exited the room.

Anderson walked out of the Medbay toward Kaidan. “You said there was something urgent you wanted to say?” Anderson reminded him as he motioned for the officer to follow him.

Kaidan waited until the doors to the captain’s quarters closed to speak. “Yes, sir. When Shepard woke, something strange happened. Her eyes snapped open and the whites were yellow, tinged with red; but her pupils were still black. There was a predatory look in them until she realized where she was, then her eyes turned back to normal,” Kaidan explained and stood there waiting to see what the captain had to say.

“Was there anything else?” Anderson asked.

“Uh, yes, sir. Just before you entered Shepard took my hands and seemed to go into a trance. When she came out of it, she said something that made no sense. I think the beacon affected her more than she is letting on, sir,” Kaidan muttered. He was worried for the commander.

“What did she say?” Anderson asked, once more feeling tired.

“She said ‘not interested, Human’,” Kaidan muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

“Take a seat, Alenko,” Anderson ordered, motioning to one of the chairs near his desk. He sighed. He should have debriefed the crew on Shepard’s unique abilities before they left the Citadel. “Shepard is a unique individual. She’s a hybrid of turian and human DNA, and that has given her a special ability. When she touches someone she is able to read them. She can see their emotions and often some images. Something similar to what asari can do. However, normally she asks permission before attempting that. That does make this situation unique,” Anderson murmured.

He now knew the beacon had affected her more than she was willing to admit. He looked down at his desk for a moment before meeting Alenko’s eyes. This wasn’t an easy conversation, and it was one that he would have preferred to avoid. “Shepard read something from you - a mild desire for her. She was warning you away with good reason. Since she is part turian, the last human that was with her ended up in the hospital with broken bones,” Anderson muttered.    

Kaidan wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t going to deny that he had an interest in the commander. Any man with eyes would feel the same. But he understood what the Captain was saying. He wouldn’t try to get involved with her. “Understood, sir,” Kaidan nodded before taking his leave.

Anderson leaned back in his chair. There were so many things to do and so little time to finish them. He was glad that he had told Frank to take Shepard’s blood work when they returned to the Citadel. He needed to understand her current condition and something told him that he wasn’t going to like the results. He sent a quick message to Hackett and another to Udina; filling them in on the mission details. He could see a shit storm coming and prayed that he wouldn’t be caught in it.

He thought back to what Kaidan said. He made it sound like Shepard had touched him for more than a brief moment. If that was so, then this was a major change. With that on his mind he went in search of the commander.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooo~

Shepard scowled as she leaned against the table. She was waiting for Admiral Hackett, Captain Anderson, and the two doctors to arrive for her debriefing. She didn’t know what was going on, but it was starting to piss her off. Her gaze snapped to the door as it opened. The four men stepped inside, closing the door behind them and covering the nearby windows.

“What’s going on?” Shepard asked, her eyes narrowed in warning.

“What happened when you touched Lieutenant Alenko?” Hackett asked.

“I saw everything that he saw from the moment he neared the beacon to the moment that I woke in the Medbay. I broke contact with him when his emotions began leaking through,” Shepard told them. Her eyes turned cold as she stood to her full height. Her back was rigid and her hands were ready by her side.

“Have you experienced that before?” Frank asked.

“No, usually I only see flashes of what something has experienced, as well as some minor emotions,” she answered with a shrug as she relaxed once more. “Why? What’s going on?”

“Just checking some things out. It’s nothing important,” Frank answered. He took a step back along with everyone else as Shepard’s eyes slowly changed color. A low growl rose in her throat, something no human would be able to do.

“Don’t lie to me,” she snarled when she was inches from Frank’s face. “You reek of a lie.” She growled when fear overrode the scent of his lie. She didn’t bother saying another word; she knew she wouldn’t get answers here. She stormed out of the room, slamming the door on her way out. She had known all along they were hiding something important from her, but she could never discover the details. Now they expected her to be honest when they weren’t.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooo~

A sigh of relief filled the room after Shepard left. “So what did you find out, Frank?” Hackett asked nervously. He was fairly certain that more of her genes were waking after what they’d just witnessed.

“As you saw, more of her prothean DNA has awakened. It isn’t as bad as we had originally assumed, however. Some of the dormant genes are still on the verge of waking,” Franks stated, not surprised at their incredulous looks.

“So what does this mean?” Anderson asked.

“It means that pretty soon we may have a living prothean on our hands. The downfall to this is that we know very little about their capabilities or their culture,” John stated worriedly.

“Well, I found out that she is able to read more now by simple touch, as well as more of her personal history,” Anderson mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. “Do you remember that human she sent to the hospital? I reported that his injuries were the result of a fight, but that wasn’t the case. It seems that Shepard is too vicious to be intimate with humans.”

“She’s been with Pallin for years now. It seems that he can handle her,” Hackett said.

“No, he can’t. Aaran told me not long ago that turian mates usually fight for dominance; and in theirs, Aaran won,” John told them. “She said that intimacy brings out nearly as much of her dominant nature as fighting.”

The four men looked at each other, uncertain what they were going to do about Shepard. They didn’t know if they should allow her to participate in any more missions; particularly ones that dealt with the protheans. “We have a meeting with the Council in two days’ time. Shepard is expected to be there,” Anderson stated.

“Should we let her be there? Or should we pull her off this mission now?” Hackett muttered, questioning anyone willing to answer.

“Honestly, I think we should trust Shepard and let her finish this. She knows right from wrong and she knows how to hide her abilities. If we don’t show that we can trust her, then will she trust us when she eventually needs us?” Anderson asked.

“You’re right. We aren’t going to do anything or interfere in any way. If her DNA awakens, then we will handle it,” Hackett stated with certainty.

“Should we tell her that she’s half-prothean?” John asked.

“No. Her mother didn’t tell her for her own safety, and we should respect that. She knows that she’s a hybrid and she knows that she is different than others. That’s good enough. Though I think we should add her abilities to her file. It’s no longer a secret,” Hackett ordered.

With a final glance among them, they filed out of the room. The truth about Shepard could be harmful to her if the wrong individuals discovered it. It was there job to insure that such an even never occurred.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard walked the Presidium and sat near the artificial lake. She stared into the water and sighed. She could feel changes happening inside her body, but didn’t understand the cause. The beacon had affected her in more ways than she could have ever imagined.

She glanced up when she felt someone approaching. A familiar hand was placed on her shoulder as its owner took a seat at her side. With that single touch she knew everything he had done during the day and everything that he was thinking.   

“You don’t need to worry, Pallin. I’m fine,” she murmured, laying her head on his shoulder.

“What is troubling you?” Verani asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“I don’t know if I can discuss it. It has to do with what happened on Eden Prime,” she murmured.

“You’re talking about Saren?” Pallin asked, his body stilling. He knew he couldn’t hide it; she already knew what he was thinking and that he had been ordered to have Garrus Vakarian look into the Saren situation. He believed her accusations, especially after he’d read her report. She didn’t accuse Saren outright; but from the information she’d received from the corpse, he knew she believed it to be true. He wasn’t sure if the Council would believe her claims, however. He knew Sparatus would, but he couldn’t predict what the other two might think. And even though he would believe her, Sparatus may deny it since Saren was the one being accused. He wished he could give her a positive end to this mess, but her abilities were often difficult to believe.

“No, not Saren,” she murmured and sat back from him before meeting his eyes. He watched as she reached up and placed a hand lightly on the side of his face. Blurred images came to him, and his head throbbed as they began flooding in. He grabbed her hand, groaning as he yanked it away from his face.

“What was that?” he asked, rubbing his head. He could feel the headache beginning to build. It felt like she was trying to fill his head with something that wasn’t intended to fit. He didn’t want a repeat.

“I was showing you what is bothering me, but I guess it doesn’t work with turians or humans. If that’s so, then why can I do it? Why doesn’t it bother me when I see images from others?” she asked sadly, her head bowed. “Verani, am I really a human–turian hybrid or am I a hybrid of another race?” she asked so quietly that he barely heard her.

“Does it matter?” he asked softly, pulling her closer to him.

“If you would have asked that two weeks ago, I would have said no. But now, after what happened with the beacon, it does matter. I saw what was on that beacon and felt like I was home. I didn’t understand the words, but the voices were soothing; even though they were filled with fear,” she murmured.

“Wasn’t that a prothean beacon?” Verani asked, his gaze turning thoughtful as he watched her.

“Yeah, it was,” she answered, burrowing closer to his warmth. She couldn’t believe how warm turians were. It was something she enjoyed.

“I don’t know what to say. You told me that the blood tests showed your lineage to be both turian and human. Maybe that made some changes and gave you some abilities that neither of our races have on their own,” Verani answered. She thought it through and it seemed plausible. Maybe he was right.

“So who’s Garrus Vakarian?” she asked, looking up at him curiously.

“He’s a turian C-Sec officer that I have investigating Saren. The Council asked for it,” Pallin told her as he watched her stretch out and use his legs as a pillow.

“Do you think he’ll find anything?” she asked quizzically.

“Maybe. Garrus is good at getting information. He’s one of my best,” Verani told her with a grin.

“And if he doesn’t? Saren is a Spectre so it might not be possible,” she reminded him.

“Aaran, there is only so much I can do. Saren is a Spectre, and the Council hasn’t given us access to his file, so I can’t promise you that he will find something,” Verani murmured, running a taloned hand through her thick hair.

“Hmm… you have two hours to stop that,” she purred, his motions easing the tension from her body. “Well, if he doesn’t find anything, I intend to,” she murmured, her voice turning lazy as she relaxed.

Verani smiled down at his lover, enjoying the peaceful look on her face. He chuckled when her purrs started and she nuzzled his leg. He wondered what would happen if she fell asleep here. Would he have to carry her back to her house? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d carried her, but it would be the first time in public. He really didn’t want to upset her, not when she was just beginning to relax.

“Aaran, why don’t we go to our house so we can relax properly?” he murmured, lightly running a talon along her cheek.

Aaran stared up at him for a few moments before sitting up. She took his hand, helping him to his feet. They walked silently to their house, holding hands. It wasn’t a secret that she was with Pallin. The surprising part was that no one frowned upon it. At least she’d never noticed anyone being negative about it.

Verani locked the door after it closed behind them. Aaran instantly pressed up against him, one hand kneading the sensitive skin beneath his fringe. The other hand slipped beneath his shirt, her nails running softly against his waist. He growled his pleasure as he nuzzled her neck.

They made their way to the couch, a line of clothes left behind them. He moved above her, nipping at her skin as she writhed beneath him. He couldn’t wait any longer, nor did he want to. With her hands caught in his and her legs wrapped around his waist, he mounted her. This was the first time since they’d become intimate that he’d taken the dominant position. He moved rougher than he ever had before, his pleasure growing as he watched her cry out in pleasure.

“Look at me,” he demanded. His breath caught as he saw two bright yellow eyes tinged with red looking straight at him. There were no whites at all; the yellow had taken over. He snapped his teeth at her aggressively when she bared hers at him in warning.

He leaned over her, burrowing his face in the crook of her neck and nipping at her throat. It was her most vulnerable spot. Without thinking he set his teeth on the soft skin, holding her in place as he roughly thrust into her.

He was caught by surprised when she found her release, her inner muscles clamping around him. He couldn’t hold back his own release, the feel of her muscles milking him too much to take. He had never felt anything like it. He let out a roar as he emptied himself into her. He grinned broadly when he heard her purring.

“Thank you,” she murmured, snuggling closer to his body as he slowly recovered from their bout.

“Trust me, it was my pleasure,” he purred as he nuzzled her contentedly. He moved them so that he was lying on his side and she was curled up to him on the couch. He could barely contain the joy he felt at having brought her to release while connected to her.

Aaran lay serenely by his side. It was the first time Verani had treated her this way. He was usually a lot gentler, but now she knew he had been holding back. She didn’t understand why and she wished he hadn’t. You would think after six years he would have learned what she needed. She closed her eyes and nuzzled his chest, trying to figure out what had changed.

“Verani, why have you been holding back?” she asked quietly, needing the answer.

Verani smiled, but she didn’t see it. “You’ve proven that you were the dominant partner in this relationship, but I wasn’t sure that you could take what a turian could give. I lost control today and I’m glad you weren’t hurt,” he murmured, nuzzling the top of her head.

“Well, lose control more often, please,” she murmured, grinning up at him. “You don’t have to hold back on my account.”

Pallin didn’t answer; he purred softly as he pulled her closer. If she wasn’t harmed by the way he longed to treat her, than he was happy to comply with her request.


	5. Chapter 5

 

Aaran woke earlier than usual. She smiled tenderly at Verani as he slept peacefully in their bed. Today was the day she was to see the Council. She was worried, not sure what they would do about Saren.

She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was a couple of hours before she needed to leave. She quickly made breakfast for herself and Verani. It had taken her a while to learn how to cook for turians. She didn’t know how many times they’d ended up eating out because she’d messed up his supper. But he was always patient with her, never becoming angry when her creations were far less than palatable.

She grinned as she heard him leave the bed. She purred softly when she felt him near her; wrap his hand around her waist and lean down, taking in her scent. “Breakfast is almost ready,” she murmured.

“Are you ready to speak with the Council?” Verani asked.

“It won’t matter if I am ready or not. It depends on Garrus now - whether he found anything we can use,” she muttered with a scowl.

Verani wasn’t sure if he should tell her that Garrus had been unsuccessful in his investigation. While he debated he grabbed two plates, bringing them over to the table. “What’s bothering you? And don’t say nothing,” she stated, her arms folded over her chest.

“So far Vakarian hasn’t found anything,” he told her, prepared for the anger that he knew was about to explode.

“Figured as much, but that doesn’t mean I am giving up,” she warned him.

“Never thought you would, but you do have to be realistic. You may never find anything on him. We both know Saren has gone rogue, but the Council may not accept your abilities as proof,” Verani warned her.

“I know,” she mumbled and began to eat. Every now and then her eyes would stray to him as he sat at the table in only pants. It was distracting to say the least, but she didn’t mind at all. She was enjoying the view.

Aaran set down her fork when her door chimed. She glanced at Verani and he shrugged. She knew he wouldn’t leave the room, despite his lack of clothing. It was his way and she didn’t mind. When the door opened she was surprised to see Ashley Williams and Kaidan Alenko standing on the other side. She invited them in since she knew they were here to accompany her to the meeting. Her eyes narrowed as Ashley looked at Verani, disgust clear on her face. She was amused to see that he wasn’t paying attention to them. Unlike Ashley, Kaiden didn’t seem to care that there was a half-naked turian sitting at her table eating.

“The Captain wants to see us before the meeting. It seems that more people are involved than we thought. The Turian Ambassador has become involved and he wishes to speak with you beforehand,” Kaidan told her.

Pallin had heard the human. He had taken amusement in the female’s discomfort. He ignored the newcomers and walked over to Aaran. He bent over slightly and nuzzled the side of her face before lightly nipping her shoulder. “I have to head out now. I’ll see you after the trial,” he murmured before heading to the bedroom and changing. He wasn’t surprised to find her sitting once more and finishing her breakfast when he walked back out of the bedroom. What surprised him was that the two humans had both taken a seat and Aaran hadn’t offered them anything. Silently he chuckled. He knew she’d just insulted them and they didn’t even realize it.    

~oooooooooooooo~

 

Aaran walked up the steps of the Citadel Tower to see the Council. Kaidan Alenko and Ashley Williams walked closely at her side. She wasn’t sure if it was for moral support or so they could give statements that the Council would never ask for. She supposed it could be because they wanted to see what would happen. She didn’t know, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about them following her around.

She saw Pallin standing there talking with another turian. This one had blue markings that matched his eyes. She figured he was Vakarian. She knew something wasn’t right when she heard them arguing.

“Stall the Council, give me more time. I know Saren is dirty,” she heard Vakarian demand. She raised a brow; she knew Verani hated demanding individuals. She was surprised that the young C-Sec officer would argue with his superior in the middle of such a public area.   

“I am not going to stall the Council, Garrus,” Pallin snapped. She was surprised that his reprimand wasn’t stronger.

“No, you can’t stall the Council, but you can allow him to continue his investigation with me once the ambassadors let Saren go,” Aaran commented, moving over to her lover.

“I could, but what would be the point?” Pallin asked, his eyes narrowing. He had to put on a stern look even though he knew it wouldn’t work on her. He bit off a purr when she placed her hand in his. He wasn’t surprised that she was doing this in public. They never hid their relationship, but he wondered how the other two humans would react. He didn’t want to jeopardize Aaran’s relationships with her own kind. He relaxed his grip, but she still held firm. He knew then that it didn’t matter to her.  

“I plan on taking Saren down. You said Garrus is one of your best. I could use his help digging up information if the Council doesn’t listen,” she told him, her eyes filled with hope.

Garrus stood back, his eyes widening at what he heard. Pallin considered him one of his best. He was surprised, considering the many reprimands he had received from his superior.  

“And what happens if you find nothing? The search could take years and you may never find anything,” Pallin reminded her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. They ignored the people standing around them; they didn’t matter right now. He knew they had the attention of more than Garrus and the humans, but he didn’t care. It seemed that Aaran didn’t care, either.

“You know me better than that. Give him to me for three days after the trial, if Saren isn’t found guilty. If we find nothing, I’ll send him back to you, but that doesn’t mean I am not going to stop looking,” she murmured with a smirk.

Garrus waited to see what his boss was going to say. He’d been taken aback when Shepard took Pallin’s hand. He hadn’t expected Pallin’s mate to be Commander Aaran Shepard. He knew Pallin had a mate; it was common knowledge in C-Sec. Quite a few had met her, but he never had.

“Fine,” Verani eventually relented. He saw the pleading in her gaze and knew how important the situation was to her. “If you lose this trial you can have Garrus to help you with your investigation. For three days, no longer than that,” Pallin grumbled. He tried to scowl at her, but it didn’t work and she gave him a hug. He purred his delight when he felt her arms around him. This was a human custom, one that hadn’t taken him long to get used to. He actually enjoyed it very much.

Garrus watched them curiously. He smirked when he heard Pallin agree to allow him to continue his investigation after the trial. His eyes widened when he noticed Pallin’s face soften more than he’d ever seen it before.  His mandibles went slack when the human gave his boss a hug and he returned it; actually purring in delight.

Garrus stepped back when a strong marking scent filled the immediate area. He’d never smelled anything so strong before. This warning was loud and clear - touch and die very slowly. At first he thought it was Pallin giving off the scent, but he quickly realized that it was Commander Shepard, instead.  

He glanced at the other humans to gauge their reactions. The male didn’t seem to care, or maybe he’d already witnessed it before. The female had what looked like disgust on her face. He was no expert in human facial expressions, but her distaste was clear to all.

He glanced back at his boss, to see him bury his face in the crook of Shepard’s shoulder. He was surprised that they were showing this amount of affection in the middle of the Tower. It wasn’t unheard of with turians, but he didn’t think humans were as open as his race.  

Garrus waited patiently until the lovers finished talking. He watched Pallin walk away and the human turned toward him. “Please tell you me you have some very good evidence?” Aaran said as she looked at the turian expectantly.

“No, I found nothing on Saren. He’s a Spectre and that makes it nearly impossible to discover his secrets,” Garrus muttered.

“Shit, not quite what I wanted to hear,” Aaron muttered with a shake of her head.

“Commander, the Turian Ambassador is waiting for us,” Kaidan reminded her.

“Yes, let’s get this done,” Aaran muttered before giving Garrus a nod and heading for the stairs.

                                                                                                         ~ooooooooooo~

Aaran left the two humans behind as she walked over to Dallin, her Turian Ambassador. He looked less than pleased as he stared between Captain Anderson, who was at his side, and her. “I was told you wanted to talk to me,” Aaran said when she arrived before him.

He motioned her to follow him. They walked into the closest office and he closed the door quietly behind them. She noticed the concern on his face and sighed. She knew she should have gone to see him as soon as all of this started, but she hadn’t wanted to get him involved in this mess. He was a Turian Ambassador and she was accusing a well-respected turian of terrible crimes.  

“What happened on Eden Prime?” Dallin asked tiredly as soon as the door closed. He had heard so many versions over the last several days, but Aaran’s wasn’t among them. That worried him. He thought the humans might have stepped in and forced her to remain silent. The more he thought about it, the more plausible the idea became.  

Aaran hissed and rubbed the bridge of her nose before meeting Dallin’s worried gaze. “Saren killed Nihlus. I found that out by touching Nihlus’ body. It showed Nihlus talking to Saren, but I didn’t see the killing shot. Nihlus had turned his back on Saren out of misguided trust and Saren shot him in the head,” Aaran told him. “As for the beacon, Kaidan Alenko went near it out of curiosity. Energy of some type trapped him and pulled him closer to the beacon. I knocked him out of the way and was caught in the energy, instead. There were images and words that I didn’t understand, but…” she trailed off, not sure how to explain this part to him. She didn’t even understand it.  

“But…?” Dallin pressured.

“But it was odd. The images were of a race that I have never seen before, talking in a language I didn’t know. Then there was fear, terror, pain and helplessness. Yet through all that, the voices were soothing to me. It was like they called to something within me,” she murmured as she paced the room agitatedly. She knew it sounded farfetched, but that was how it felt.

Dallin watched her pace and hid the smile that spread over his face. She was made to believe she was half turian by those she trusted most. Now she had met her true people and didn’t realize it. The humans thought they had kept her origin a secret, and they had until he went digging. He had hired someone to hack her files and discovered that she was half prothean, not turian. He had killed the man he hired to complete the task. The information could prove too dangerous for Aaran if anyone found out.

Since that time he had protected her in every way that he could. Not because she believed she was one of his people, but because of Executor Pallin. They were mates and anything that happened to Aaran would affect his friend.

He did mind continuing the charade that Aaran was half turian. She was the only human he had any respect for. Now he worried about her. Between accusing Saren and engaging the beacon, she had a very difficult time coming. He planned on seeing Saren pay for his crimes, Spectre or not, and he would back Aaran any way he could. He knew she wasn’t lying. She couldn’t, not when she touched something.

“I’ll be there to support you through this trial and anything else that comes from this,” Dallin reassured her.

“What about Saren? You’re his ambassador, too,” she murmured as she stopped pacing.

“He killed another turian in cold blood. I won’t sit idly by and allow him to go free,” Dallin snapped coldly, a soft growl leaving him.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooo~

The trial hadn’t gone well. Even with Dallin’s help, they had failed to bring Saren to justice. She had seen Sparatus, the Turian Councillor, hesitate when she told him what she’d read from Nihlus’ body. It didn’t matter in the long run; with Saren there mocking her abilities, no one had believed her.

Now she only had three days to find the information she needed and she planned on finding it. She knew she would need Garrus’ help and she planned on using him as much as possible until Verani called him back to the station.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooo~

Shepard lay back on her bed, a smile on her face. Saren was now on the run and everything was good. Tomorrow morning she would board the Normandy as commander of the ship and begin her hunt for the barefaced turian.

She chuckled as she thought of Garrus. He was a good soldier, for the most part. His biggest flaw was that he chose to ignore turian military protocol when it suited his needs. Every other turian she knew was strict in following protocol in their daily jobs. It was considered insulting to allow your emotions to rule you while working. It didn’t matter if your mate or friend visited; business was business. You treated them no different than anyone else. The affection shown by Verani before the trial was very unusual for him, but his reasons for the emotional reaction didn’t matter any longer.

They’d found the evidence they needed of Saren’s guilt and she’d been made a Spectre by the Council so she could track him down. Unfortunately, she still had Udina as her ambassador. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was good. She looked toward the door, wondering why Verani hadn’t come home yet. She was slightly concerned that she wouldn’t see him before she left; but if that was the case, there was nothing she could do about it.

Sighing heavily, she allowed sleep to slowly claim her…

_Men charged into the fray with biotics and guns blazing. Synthetics and things she didn’t have a name for fought against them. The enemy was horrific. They weren’t even recognizable as any kind of creature she knew._

_She followed the men, watching them and felt peaceful, safe. She purred her contentment even with the horrors all around her. It was nothing like she had ever felt, home… It might have felt like that, but her home was being decimated._  

She woke up gasping and glanced around the room before relaxing once more. She looked to her side to find Verani watching her. “It’s been awhile since you’ve had nightmares like that. Are you alright?” he asked quietly as he rubbed her back slowly; trying to ease her tension.

“Yeah, I will be. It was some images from the probe we found on Eden Prime,” she murmured and sighed contentedly as she felt herself relax under his ministrations.

“What happened?” he asked, looking at her curiously.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” she mumbled before crawling out of bed. In a couple of hours she was supposed to be aboard the Normandy so the hunt for Saren could begin.

Pallin watched her walk out of the room, his body still. He noticed that her scent changed subtly just before she woke. It worried him. He hoped that nothing serious was happening with her. He smiled sadly. He’d been stuck in meetings on their last night together and hadn’t returned until quite late. She had already been asleep when he found her. Instead of waking her, he held her close and drifted off to sleep.

He heard the shower turn on and grinned. With confident steps he made his way to the shower to say a proper good bye to his mate.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard sat in her office onboard the Normandy, going over the crew manifest. She had already added the krogan, quarian and turian that had aided her search for evidence against Saren to the list. Actually it had been Pallin’s idea for her to take Garrus along. He’d claimed that she could help train Garrus, but she somehow doubted that his explanation was complete.  

She was amazed that the aliens wished to come with her. The quarian, Tali, was an engineering master and had already made herself at home below decks. Garrus took care of the mako, which would need lots of repairs before she was done with it. She wasn’t sure what could be done with the krogan, Wrex, so she chose to leave him be for the moment.

The human crew was leery about having aliens aboard. Presley had mentioned something about having so many different species onboard. She had to put him in his place, reminding him that she was a hybrid. She smirked at how fast that had shut him and a few others up. When she was alone in her office, away from prying eyes, she laughed; remembering the look on Presley’s face. These people would have to learn quickly to accept aliens. Since she was an alien, herself, she couldn’t allow them to look down upon their new companions. She understood the animosity between humans and turians, but that was the past.

She leaned back in her chair and finished her paperwork. She had given the order to set course to collect the asari, Matriarch Benezia’s daughter. Since the Matriarch was working with Saren, they needed any information the daughter could provide on the protheans and her mother. Since a prothean beacon had started all of this, maybe she would be able to shed some light on it all.

Liara T’Soni’s dossier said that she was a prothean expert and could read most of the language. She understood their culture. She had made it her life’s work to learn about them. Aaran didn’t understand how one person could dedicate years of their life to studying one culture. Asaris live for a thousand years or more, and this asari had already been studying them for decades.  

Aaran sighed when she thought of the protheans she had seen in the beacon. One prothean in particular held her fascination, but it didn’t matter. He was long dead. She remembered his imprint from the beacon, how he was the leader of the people she had seen. She wondered what they were like.

With a shake of her head she left the office. She found her team already eating. She was surprised that Garrus, Wrex and Tali were in the mess hall eating with the rest of the crew; though they were at a separate table from Kaidan and Ashley. She walked over to them, taking a seat. She smirked when Kaidan made his way over to them, followed slowly by Ashley. Aaran hid her smirk when she saw the woman sit well away from the others, near the end of the table.

“So this Liara is supposed to be an expert on the protheans? How will we know that she’s not working with her mother and Saren?” Kaidan asked after finishing the food in his mouth.

“We can’t just let her wander the ship. We know so little about her, aside from the fact that she’s Benezia’s daughter. That alone makes me leery about allowing her too much freedom,” Garrus commented, looking at the commander uncertainly.

“I’ll read her. Then I’ll know for sure where her loyalties lay,” he heard the Commander say. Garrus leaned back in his chair trying to understand what she meant by that. He thought his translator had glitched and he misunderstood her words.

“What do you mean you’ll ‘read her’?” Garrus asked with narrowed eyes. He noticed Alenko flinch before his face turned neutral.  

“I’m able to read people with a touch,” Shepard explained with a shrug.  

Garrus looked at her incredulously, before snorting in disbelief. Shepard’s eyes narrow and she moved quickly, grabbing Garrus’ wrist in an iron grip. That was all it took for her to see…

_Garrus stood in front of Pallin, letting him know that he was going to join her team. She watched as Pallin’s eyes narrowed and a warning growl left him. “What does Aaran say?” Pallin asked Garrus._

_“I haven’t spoken with her about it yet, but I need to finish this,” Garrus stated heatedly as he took a step back. Pallin’s marking scent burned his nose._

_“Fine. I’ll allow it, but only because you are going with Aaran. Maybe she can teach you a few things. But Garrus, while you are onboard, watch her back,” Pallin said with a bowed head._

_“I will, sir. Is there anything else?” Garrus asked, missing the sadness in Pallin’s eyes._

_“No, you’re dismissed,” Pallin ordered before taking a seat. Garrus walked out of the office. His gut told him something was wrong with his boss, but he didn’t know what it was._

Garrus was startled when she grabbed his arm. So was everyone else. She stood silently, holding his arm. He raised his eyes to meet hers and gasped. Her green eyes were gone. In their place were yellow, alien eyes; unlike any he’d ever seen before.  

Shepard let go his arm and stepped away from the turian. “So Pallin told you to watch my back,” Shepard murmured with a raised brow. “And for your information, your gut was right. There was something wrong with Verani, but there is nothing you can do about it. I will have to talk to him.”

She scented the air and could smell Garrus’ fear. “There’s no need to be afraid,” she muttered, shaking her head. Without another word she grabbed her half eaten plate and headed for her office.

Garrus glanced around the table to see uncertainty in everyone’s eyes. He wasn’t sure what to make of Shepard, but she was right. He did fear her now.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooo~

Shepard smiled when Pallin answered her call. “Are you busy?” she asked with a slight smile.

“No, not at the moment,” Pallin answered, surprised that she was calling him so soon. He didn’t expect to hear from her until she’d docked at the Citadel once more.

“I read Garrus,” she told him. Pallin stilled, wondering if she’d witnessed his exchange with the young turian. He knew she would see what Garrus hadn’t realized.

“And what did you see?” he asked cautiously.

“You were worried about something while talking with Garrus,” she murmured softly. “Verani, there’s no need to worry, I promise,” she told him with the soft smile that always warmed his heart. It was the one smile he looked most forward to seeing. He never saw her give it to anyone else, only him. He had feared that she might turn to Garrus now that he was travelling with her, but he knew that there was no need to worry. She had soothed him. The ache that was in his chest eased with her words.

“How is the mission coming?” he asked, finally able to relax.

“We are picking up an asari in a few hours and then I’ll contact you as soon as we’re done,” she answered with a shrug. “I should let you get back to work. You can contact me on the ship, you know.”

“I didn’t want to…” he began, but she cut him off before he could finish the sentence. He had to shake his head. Aaran knew him too well. He shouldn’t have been surprised since they had been together for years. The turians that knew they were together considered her his mate. He did, too, but there were times when he thought he wasn’t worthy enough to hold her attention; especially now that she was out in space surrounded by others that were so much like her.

“You can get that thought out of your head. You won’t be bothering me,” she grumbled with a glare.

“I’ll call tomorrow night,” Verani said before cutting communications. He sat back in his chair with a sigh of contentment. After a few moments he turned his attention back to his work, finally able to concentrate on the task at hand.  


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anytime during this story you see bold writing, it will mean that character is speaking the prothean language.

Shepard entered the darkened tunnel with Garrus and Kaidan in search of Matriarch Benezia’s daughter. This mine would lead them into the prothean ruins that Liara T’Soni had been investigating. She hoped the asari was still alive. Judging by the amount of geth they had encountered on their way, it wouldn’t surprise her to find the young scientist dead.

Kaidan walked into the elevator first, she and Garrus close behind. Pallin had told Garrus to watch her back and he constantly had it. He’d already saved her ass a few times, she had to admit.

“What do you think we’ll find down here?” Kaidan wondered out loud, looking at Shepard expectantly.

“Who knows,” she muttered with a shake of her head. “Probably more geth.”

The elevator trip took a turn for the worst. Instead of a nice ride down, it turned into the elevator to hell. She hissed when the ancient device crashed to a halt on the stone floor. “Everyone still alive?” she asked sarcastically as she glanced over her shoulder at her team. Both had sustained only minor injuries in the crash.

She took the lead when they didn’t answer. Her eyes widened as she looked around at the ruins surrounding both sides of the descending catwalk. She noticed that some rooms had energy barriers over them and wondered if they had been in place when the scientists first arrived or if they were a new fixture.

She had Garrus snipe any geth that appeared on the main floor, while Kaidan took out those that were along the catwalk. She helped out, but didn’t bother using her biotics. She wasn’t sure how Garrus would feel. She could sense that he still feared her; and knew it was for good reason.

She stepped onto the dirt floor, bending low and touching the sand. What she sensed from the sand had nothing to do with the protheans. There were traces of the miners and scientists who worked there; feelings of commotion and excitement, but no actual information. 

Her eyes widened when she saw an asari suspended in the air behind a wall of blue energy. It appeared that she had activated some type of force-field. “Are you Liara T’Soni?” Aaran asked the trapped asari.

“Oh, thank the Goddess! I am trapped here. I activated this field so the geth couldn’t get me, but now I can’t get to the controls,” Liara muttered. Liara glanced at the controls. If she were being honest, she wasn’t exactly sure what would happen when she pressed the buttons. With what she understood of the symbols she’d expected the force-field, but nothing like this. Now she worried that the new arrivals would set off something that the protheans left behind. If they became trapped, as well, then all hope was lost.  

Shepard sighed, not sure how to get to the other side of the force field. She walked over to where the woman was suspended and lightly touched the barrier.

 _People moved around, talking in a language she didn’t understand. She saw men working on the barrier. She watched as scientists moved about this room, talking. But one thing she noticed above all else. There was no sense of fear or panic. She also heard the sounds of kids… She knew now that this was before the chaotic message from the beacon._ She jerked her hand back and stepped away from the barrier.

Liara swallowed thickly; fear racing through her when the stranger touched the barrier. The woman’s eyes had changed color. She didn’t know what was happening, but it seemed as if the human could see something she couldn’t.

“Shepard, do you think this will work?” Garrus asked, showing her the mining laser nearby. She walked over to it, pointed it at the ground near the barrier and pressed the button to activate it. It drilled a hole in the ground beneath the chamber where Liara was suspended.

“We’ll get you out of there soon,” Shepard told the woman, trying to sound reassuring. “Come on, let’s see where this will lead.”

They found an elevator in the lower chamber and Kaidan automatically walked over to the controls. “Uh, Shepard, we have a problem. I don’t understand these symbols,” Kaidan told her. She nodded to Garrus and he headed over to take a look.

“This is prothean architecture. We won’t be able to get this elevator moving until we figure out these symbols,” Garrus muttered, staring in confusion at the symbols.

With a sigh Aaran walked over to them. She looked at the key pad and couldn’t understand why they were having a problem. She gave them a confused look. “What’s the problem?” she grumbled, punching some keys. The elevator started moving, bringing them up to Liara’s level. She walked over to another panel and punched more keys, disabling the barrier. “Are you alright, T’Soni?” she asked.

Liara walked over to the panel she couldn’t reach, her eyes widening as the commander punched in more codes. She wondered how the woman knew what codes to use.

“I’m fine, but there is a krogan and a bunch of geth nearby. They were searching for me; that’s why I activated the barrier,” Liara warned her.

“We’ll deal with them when they show up,” Shepard told her. She nodded to Kaidan and Garrus to be ready. No sooner had she moved when the krogan and his comrades arrived. “Take cover!” she ordered.

Shepard stilled when she heard a distant rumbling and sadness filled her as the walls starting to crumble. Another place that felt ‘right’ was collapsing around them. They didn’t have time to talk with the krogan like he wanted. Aaran allowed her unnatural biotics to flow over her. She shot them toward the krogan and watched it cover him. She could see him slowing, his steps sluggish. She let loose a shockwave, knocking their opponents off the platform and watching them fall toward the ground below.

“How are we supposed to get out of here?” Garrus hissed as more walls crumbled.

“This elevator will take us to the top,” she told them, punching in the necessary commands. She watched the structure fall around them and felt lost, as though she was losing something dear to her. She closed her eyes and said a silent goodbye.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooo~

Everyone was in the conference room. Most didn’t trust Liara, and Aaran knew she would need to put an end to that particular problem quickly. There was a good chance that this asari would have information on Saren, his geth and the conduit.

They had already questioned her about her mother and Aaran couldn’t smell a lie in any of her answers. There was only one way to know for sure, but she was uncomfortable doing it in front of the crew after Garrus’ earlier reaction to her abilities. She sighed and walked over to the asari. There was no choice, she had to do it.

“Shepard, do you think this is a good idea?” Kaidan asked. He had read the document on Shepard that Anderson had sent to all crew members. It was an update on her file, stating her abilities. That one ability still made him nervous. Being able to read a person by touch wasn’t normal.

“We have no choice. It’s the only way to know if she’s telling the truth,” she stated firmly, avoiding their worried stares.

“What are you planning to do?” Liara asked curiously. There were many questions she had for the commander. What she wanted to know most was how she understood the prothean symbols. It had taken her years of study to understand and she still didn’t know all of them.

“I’m going to read you,” Shepard stated before grabbing her wrist.

_Liara alone for many years... Protheans interested her and she needed to learn about them. Her whole life was about protheans - learning about their science, culture, language._

_Naivety flowed off of her in waves. She was innocent to the world around her and its people. She felt loneliness in the woman._

Shepard searched further…

_Her mother… their last meeting was years ago. She rarely saw her and barely got along with her mother._

Aaran felt remorse for the asari, but said nothing.

She watched as Liara’s eyes widened. “You’ve seen the message in a prothean beacon… I saw the images… they were…” She trailed off when Shepard’s eyes turned cold. Liara took a few steps back as the commander’s eyes changed color and she growled low in her throat.

Everyone’s breath stopped when Shepard started speaking, but not in a language they understood. Liara stared at her transfixed.

 **“You had no right to read me, Asari!”** Aaran snarled.

“Someone get Dr. Chakwas,” Kaidan ordered. He watched Ashley rush out of the room as Shepard collapsed to the floor.

“Liara, do you know what she said?” Kaidan asked, standing next to Aaran’s prone body.

“A few of the words. It was something about reading her,” Liara answered hesitantly. She stared down at the commander with fear in her eyes; but there was no small amount of curiosity there, as well. She glanced around at the others and saw that they didn’t look at her in distrust anymore. Their fearful gazes were now turned to Shepard.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Chakwas looked at Shepard’s test results and shook her head. Once more they were different. She lifted one eye lid and sighed in relief to see that her eyes were green once more. She ran her hand over Shepard’s skin, noticing a difference to it when she was looking for injuries. Her skin wasn’t as soft as it was the first time they touched, nor was it leathery like a turian’s. Her skin was growing tougher, thickening, but it wasn’t that noticeable until you touched her. It still looked normal.

She looked at the stats once more and shook her head. Shepard’s brain waves were off the charts and didn’t seem to be settling. She remained next to her patient when Shepard’s eyes opened. “Commander, how are you feeling?” she asked.

“Fine,” Aaran muttered. “Why?”

“What do you remember?” Chakwas asked, regarding her curiously.

“Reading Liara and then it goes blank,” Aaran answered, giving the doctor a confused look. She watched as the doctor made some notes on a datapad. “What aren’t you telling me, doctor?” Shepard asked with a sharp voice.

“I’m sorry, Commander, but I am under strict orders not to say anything,” Chakwas muttered, giving her an apologetic look.

“Whose orders?” Shepard growled low.

“Admiral Hackett and Captain Anderson,” she answered softly, before turning away from her and taking a seat. Shepard nodded, not sure what to say and left the medbay. She thought about contacting Anderson, but knew it would do no good.

With a sigh she went to the conference room to talk to the Council instead. They needed their update and she needed something to do.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooo~

The ground crew sat around the table in the mess hall. Each of them was very quiet, none sure what to make of the commander.

Garrus watched them, thinking back to Executor Pallin’s request to watch Shepard’s back… Now he wasn’t sure if he could do it. He didn’t feel comfortable or safe with the commander anymore. He could honestly say she scared him. He hated admitting it, but it was the truth. Everyone’s gaze snapped up when they heard her footsteps. He noticed that everyone else hastily averted their eyes. He didn’t. He needed to speak with her and clear the air. He wasn’t looking forward to this conversation, but it was going to be impossible for him to continue under her command if he didn’t say something. He would allow her to make the decision as to his future with the Normandy crew.

The part that frustrated him the most was that her leadership was without reproach. She was strong, confident and held a certainty in her that people needed. But it was her abilities that made him fearful of her. Not just being able to read people, but the strangeness in her biotics. He had noticed that she didn’t have an implant like most humans and other races required to maintain biotic power.

With certainty he didn’t feel he walked into her office, only to stop dead. He knew he should leave and give her privacy, but he couldn’t. She was speaking with Pallin about the same thing that was bothering him. He was glued to the spot, listening to the answers he needed to hear.  

Aaran tried to smile when she saw Verani’s image appear on her screen, but she couldn’t pull it off. “Aaran, what’s wrong?” Pallin asked worriedly. He had never seen her like this before. The confidence he was used to seeing from her was watered down. Her eyes showed her turmoil. Quickly, without her noticing, he punched a quick message to his secretary and cancelled the appointment that was booked for this time. She needed him and he would be there for her.

“Everything! Remember that discussion we had about me being a hybrid? I don’t think it’s turian anymore. I don’t know what the hell is going on,” she muttered, her gut tightening once more.  

“Let’s start from the beginning,” Pallin stated calmly.

“When I used to read people it was only flashes, and some emotions; but now it’s like a movie playing in my head. I can feel all the emotions they felt when an event happened,” she began. “Then there’s the prothean stuff. Anytime I am near something prothean, I can feel it - like the beacon. I could feel it. It was soothing even when it showed me those images. Today I could understand the symbols on this control panel that Garrus or Kaidan couldn’t read. It was like it was written in my very own language. I don’t know what the hell is going on. I asked the doctor, but she’s under orders from Hackett and Anderson to remain silent about the whole bloody thing,” Shepard hissed, her anger showing.

“And what if you are more different than you thought? Does that change who you are?” Pallin asked softly, but kept his voice firm.

“No, I’m still me, only with a little bit extra,” Shepard muttered. “But it’s not just that. The crew fears me. I can smell it on them. Even Vakarian is scared of me. There is a good chance that I will have to send him back when I head to the Citadel.”

“I’ll talk with Vakarian. He should know better than to judge his commanding officer,” Verani growled.

“No, don’t bother,” Aaran muttered with a shake of her head.  

“Aaran, you have always been different, but you are still you. You are still the same person who saved Elysium. The same person who’s been sharing my bed for the past six years. I know you, Aaran. You are still the same person that you were six years ago. Even if there are more changes to come, you will still be you,” Pallin said firmly. Aaran could see the certainty shining in his eyes.  

“Thanks, love, I needed to hear that,” Aaran muttered, her cheeks tinged red from showing her weakness to him.

“I’ll talk with you tomorrow, love,” Pallin murmured with a grin before cutting communications. Shepard sat there staring at the terminal with a grin on her face.

The grin slowly slipped from her face when another’s scent came to her. She turned her focus to the door and hesitated. She wondered how much of the personal conversation he had heard. “What can I do for you, Garrus?” she asked.

Garrus shifted from foot to foot. He stood there flustered by being caught listening to her conversation with Pallin. “Ah… nothing. It’s not important,” he mumbled, before turning to make a hasty retreat to the door.

“Garrus, turians don’t listen in on other people’s conversations if it’s nothing. If Alenko would have used that line I might have believed him,” Shepard told him with amusement.

Garrus relaxed slightly, seeing her amusement. “I was going to come and talk to you about some odd occurrences, but Pallin is right,” Garrus told her. He didn’t know Shepard very well, but Pallin was right in what he’d said. It didn’t matter how much had changed, as long as she was still the same person.  

Garrus nodded when he saw her grin. Relief swept through him that he hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of his life. He didn’t say a word as he left her office and headed to the Mako. He actually felt a lot better after hearing that conversation, knowing that Shepard was as concerned about what was happening to her as her crew.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooo~

Aaran was finally beginning to relax when someone requested entrance to her cabin. She shook her head. It never failed. First it had been Pressley, and now she didn’t know who it could be. “Enter,” she ordered. She raised a brow in surprise when Liara entered the room.

“What can I do for you, Liara?” she asked, motioning for the asari to take a seat.

“I wanted to know more about the beacon,” Liara murmured hesitantly.

Aaran sighed and bowed her head. She knew asaris were able to enter one’s mind, similar to her own abilities. “You have my permission to link with my mind,” Aaran told her, keeping her voice devoid of any emotion. She heard the asari whisper the words ‘embrace eternity’. At first she thought she would have no control, but that wasn’t the case. She didn’t even feel Liara enter her mind. She met the young woman’s eyes and saw they had turned black, but there was nothing else.

Liara’s breathing grew heavier as her eyes returned to normal. “I can’t enter your mind,” she whispered, trying to catch her breath.

“If you wish I can show you,” Aaran offered. She smirked when the asari nodded hesitantly. Aaran took her hand once more, this time gently. She thought of the beacon and allowed Liara to witness the vision she’d seen. Aaran knew she would have to break off the contact before Liara saw too much; however, she wanted to see if she could control the information Liara received. Shepard thought of the prothean ruins and allowed Liara to see what happened to her whenever she got near one. She snatched her hand away from the asari as the images became more personal. She stood absolutely still, waiting for Liara’s reaction. Aaran had given the asari access to her most intimate moments and feelings.  She didn’t feel particularly comfortable with that thought, but there was nothing she could do about it.

“What was the final image before you took your hand back? I saw a turian with a white painted face,” Liara murmured, looking at Shepard questioningly.

“That was my mate, Executor Pallin,” Aaran answered quietly. “I don’t have control over what can be shown so I broke the connection before you saw anything personal.”

“That was amazing. It was like watching a movie, but you could feel the emotions that went along with each image. How did you do that?” Liara asked excitedly. In that moment, Aaran almost regretted doing it.

“I don’t know. It was never like that before the beacon,” Aaran answered with a shrug.

“I heard a few people onboard mention that you are a hybrid. What is your other race?” the asari asked hesitantly.

“Turian, or so they say,” Shepard muttered with a grimace.

She watched the asari’s face as she pondered the information. She wasn’t sure what was running through her mind or if she even wanted to know, but what made her really hesitate was the interest Liara showed when she looked at her.

“What?” Aaran asked, trying to hide the apprehension she felt at that look. It was as if this woman wanted her under a microscope or something. It was very unnerving.

“Nothing. Just trying to fit the pieces together,” Liara mumbled absently. Aaran watched as she walked to the door without a backward glance.

Aaran shook her head. She wasn’t even going to try and figure out what the last comment meant.

“Joker, how long until we reach Noveria?” Aaran asked.

“We should be there in two days,” he answered.

“Tell Garrus and Liara to be ready,” she ordered. “Are you still scanning planets?”

“Yes, we are just finishing up with the Armstrong Nebula. Once all scans are complete, we’ll head straight to Noveria,” Joker stated.  

She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was getting late. She knew Joker would be heading to his pod shortly, or he’d better be. She would check later. She glanced at the mission report she needed to finish. She’d sent one to the Council, but she needed a more in-depth one for the ship.

Putting the uncomfortable events of Liara’s rescue from her mind, she started the log.

                                                            ~ooooooooooooo~

Joker newest planetary scan made him groan in dread. There was a prothean ruin and a mass of geth signatures on its surface. He knew he needed to tell Shepard, but he wasn’t sure it was a good idea; given her recent trauma whenever she was confronted by the ancient species. Despite his reservations, however, he knew he needed to report on the geth sighting. He glanced at the clock and cringed. He should have been in his pod by now. He knew Shepard would have his head, especially after the last lecture she’d given him when she found him sleeping in the pilot’s chair. He had seen Captain Anderson behind her, trying to hide his mirth. He wasn’t impressed, but had deserved the dressing down.

“Commander, I’ve come across a planet that shows a massive amout of geth signatures,” Joker announced over the com.

“What?” her slurred voice answered. Joker cringed. He had just woken her, and he wasn’t sure what to do now.

“While scanning Antibaar, I found a mass of geth signatures. Do you want to take the MAKO down?” Joker asked, trying to pretend that he hadn’t just awakened his commanding officer.

“Have Garrus and Wrex suit up,” she ordered, her voice no longer showing any signs of sleep.  Joker smirked and shook his head. He wasn’t looking forward to waking those two particular aliens. He chuckled as he heard their complaining over the com. He was glad he wasn’t down there to wake them up. He wondered if they would give Shepard a hard time. The chances were slim since she had kicked the krogan’s ass.

Shepard groaned, rubbing her tired eyes. Quickly she grabbed her clothes and headed to her locker in the garage. She’d abandoned the one on the CIC deck in favor of remaining with the crew. Garrus and Wrex were already wearing their armor. They were just strapping their guns in place when she arrived. Quickly she strapped on her armor and grabbed her weapons.

“What are we fighting this time?” Garrus asked.

“Geth, but scans show that there were ruins down there, as well. We’re going to clear out the geth and check out the ruins afterwards,” she told them.

“Don’t tell me, prothean ruins?” Wrex muttered, scowling at her.

“Is that a problem?” she asked, giving a warning growl as she stepped closer to the krogan.

Wrex looked down at the small human and shook his head. _She should have been born a krogan, not a human,_ he thought to himself. He had never met a human that could take him down, but she had. Shortly after boarding the Normandy they’d had a sparring match. He had found himself looking up at her while his back felt like it had been broken in two. To his disgust, she’d ordered him to see the doctor. What infuriated him most was that Shepard had broken two of his ribs while he was in armor.

“No, no problem,” he muttered. He wasn’t going to upset this female. She was stronger than any human he had fought and more wily, as well. He grimaced at the thought of what she could do to him if he complained.

                                                                           ~ooooooooo~

Taking out the geth was easy enough. They cleared out the structure quickly and jumped back into the Mako to head for the ruins. Shepard drove in a straight line toward her destination. It didn’t matter if there were mountains or craters in her way; she drove over or through them. Garrus couldn’t hide his scowl as the Mako once more flew into the air. He had never met a worse driver and prayed he never would again. He could make a full time job of working on the Mako if Shepard had her way. He didn’t know how the Alliance put up with it and he was pretty sure that she had more reprimands in her file than he did. It should be added to her file that she not be allowed to drive any vehicle of any type.  

She had Wrex take lead when they entered the facility while she stayed in the middle of every hallway and room. She didn’t want to accidently brush against any walls while here. That was the last thing she needed.  

“Shepard, found something here,” Garrus stated.

“What is it?” she asked.

“A disk,” he answered. “What do you want me to do with it?”

“Hold onto it. I’m not touching anything prothean right now,” she told him and headed further into the ruins.

“Shepard, got something here. Looks like the id tags that you humans wear,” Wrex stated, holding them up for her to see.

“Just keep hold of them. Whatever you guys find can be dropped off in my office when we board,” Shepard told them. She wondered what all they would find in the ruin. The dogtags had been a surprise. She wondered what soldiers would be doing in a place like this.

She found another disk. This one didn’t look like any prothean data disks they had found so far. She picked it up and quickly shoved it into her pouch before she saw anything. She took a few steps and stopped. She wasn’t sure what the object before her was, but  it looked like a black shard. “Garrus, can you grab that, please?” she asked. She wanted to touch it so badly and that was what stopped her from doing so. Garrus looked at her and then the shard. He shrugged his shoulders, understanding why she didn’t want to touch it.

Wrex searched around some more. He moved over to what appeared to be a body. There was no way to tell what race it was or how long it had been there. It looked like something an animal had coughed up. The only thing he could tell was that it had two legs and arms; other than that, nothing. ‘Mummified’ is the term he thought the humans used for the state of the corpse.

He glanced back at Shepard. “Got a body here, but haven’t got a clue what race it is,” Wrex muttered.

“Probably looters,” she hissed. “Is there anything on his body that he might have taken from here?”

Wrex searched what was left of the body and found another disk and a shard of some type. “Yeah, there is a disk and another shard,” Wrex told her.

“Black in color?” she asked.

“No, this one is light blue in color,” he answered.

They walked around the site for a few more minutes. There was nothing more to find. “Let’s get out of here. Please bring the items you found to my office once they are decontaminated. I’ll look at them after we leave Noveria,” she told them as she headed back to the shuttle.

As Wrex was leaving a glint caught his attention. He picked it up and his brow ridge rose. It was a silver blade. He wondered where one came across a blade like this. It was an old style blade, but still very sharp. He could still smell blood on it. He shrugged his shoulders and placed it with the rest of the relics he’d found. He’d show it to Shepard. She could probably discover its purpose


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be fixing the formatting of the chapters at a later date. Right now I just want to get my stories up. So please bare with me.

Aaran stood in her office trying _not_ to think of Noveria. It had been HELL. It had been emotionally, physically and mentally trying. Liara’s emotions had been so close to the surface that Aaran could feel everything. She didn’t need to touch the young asari to read her. Then there were the rachni; they had been hell to fight. They had overrun the entire complex and left very few safe places to recuperate. The worst event of all was when Benezia died and the rachni queen had taken control of one of her followers.

Aaran had accidently touched the matriarch’s body and was engulfed with images, flashes and emotions so thick that it choked her. The woman’s regret was so profound that her chest felt heavy. Aaran could barely control her reaction to the nearly dead woman’s pain.

Then she’d felt the queen, tasted the truth of her words and set her free. It was the only thing she could do. The Council hadn’t agreed, but that didn’t matter. She wasn’t about to wipe out an entire race. Not for them.   

She had just come from Liara’s room; the young asari was taking her mother’s death hard. She automatically headed to her office to be alone and process all she that had learnt. She stopped dead when she thought of all the artifacts waiting for her there. She didn’t want to have to deal with them so she altered course to the mess hall.

She smirked when she saw most of her ground crew sitting in the mess hall. Wrex, Garrus, and Kaidan were sitting together, while the girls were seated at a separate table. Liara should have been with them, but Aaran knew that she needed time alone to recover.

Aaran grabbed a plate of food and took a seat with the girls. She cringed when she realized that shopping was the topic of conversation. Quickly she made her escape and went to her office with her meal. She grinned when she saw that she had messages waiting for her.

The first one was from Pallin, hoping that she would return to the Citadel soon. Another was from the Council, sending her information they’d found on the last shipment of Prothean relics that she’d discovered. Admiral Hackett had a few missions for her to do, as well. She smirked smugly; one of those missions she’d already done.

“Joker, head for the Citadel. We need to restock our supplies,” she announced.

“We’ll be there by morning, Commander,” Joker said with a grin. “Will there be shore leave?”

“Of course. Make sure the crew knows that they will have three days,” she told him with a chuckle. She had to smile. Her team was working well together. There were no more guarded looks or frustrated growls that the humans couldn’t hear. It was good to finally have them working as a team.

She spent time with each of them, talking to them. She’d played several games of cards with them. Even Garrus and Wrex got involved. Lastly there were the sparring matches in the cargo hold, so everyone could stay in top shape. She was finally relaxing around her crew. They didn’t look at her in fear now. It had taken two huge missions and quite a few smaller ones to ease the tension, but it had happened. After all they’d been through together, a little shore leave was definitely in order.

Her smile turned into a grin. When she came in contact with Prothean artifacts, the team now referred to her reactions as ‘Shepard’s Prothean moments’. They expected it now, and didn’t treat it as a defect in her character. She’d learned that her eyes turned colors when she had a reaction to an artifact. Tali even went so far as to take a picture of her for the commander to see. The incidences seemed to be occurring far more often and it was a bit disquieting for Aaran.

She looked at the other Prothean artifacts they had found and worried. She could feel the changes happening within herself. When she was near Joker she had to breathe through her mouth. She could smell his illness. When she was with Liara, Ashley, Tali and Kaidan she had to remain a few steps from them. They smelled weak to her.

Wrex and Garrus were the only ones who smelled appropriate to her. Wrex smelled dominant while Garrus’ scent was still unidentifiable to her. But it didn’t trigger any instincts within her.

She moved the container holding the Prothean artifacts to the floor. She would look at them a lot later; once she had the time to deal with them properly.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooooo~

The Citadel was as busy as ever. Aaran headed straight for her apartment when they docked. She needed to change and to have a real shower; not a timed one like those onboard the Normandy. Here she could stand under the water for hours and relax. Once she was finished she would make her way to Pallin. She needed to see him, to have him close. She had missed him even though they talked almost every night.  She had sent him a message telling him of her arrival time and that her first stop would be her apartment.

He was used to it. He often joined her in the shower when she first got home from a long mission. She wasn’t sure if the same would happen this time; he hadn’t answered her message.

She turned the hot water up and let it cascade over her body; allowing it to loosen her tense muscles and wash away her worries.

Her smirk turned into a grin of delight when the bathroom door opened and she could smell Pallin. She looked through the steam-covered doors of the shower and watched as he stripped down, a predatory look in his eyes. She reveled in that look.

In moments he was inside the shower with her, his claws digging into her skin. He leaned over her, his teeth sinking lightly into her shoulder. She squirmed in pleasure. His teeth applied more pressure and he gave a warning growl. She growled back, her instincts kicking in. She scented the air as the smell of his lust filled the shower.

She purred her pleasure at the odor emanating from him. She leapt up easily, locked her legs around his waist and bit his neck; leaving her mark.  

She reveled in Pallin’s snarl of warning. She gave him a taunting smile before leaning in to bite down once more. She didn’t have a chance; his fingers laced through her hair and one arm wrapped around her waist. He bent her so that he could get to her neck easily. He didn’t just nip; he sank his teeth into her neck, holding her in place as he entered her deeply. She moaned low and rocked to meet him.

It wasn’t exactly what she had planned, but it would do nicely. She felt his pace quicken and knew he was close. She was surprised; usually he lasted a lot longer. Disappointment washed through her when she felt him release. She didn’t say a word and buried her disappointment deep inside where he wouldn’t see it.

“Now, we can have fun,” Pallin growled, his breath fanning her ear. She wasn’t sure what he meant, but squealed when he lifted her high into the air. She was about to say something biting, but all words left as he tasted her. If the shower wall hadn’t been there she would have fallen backward. Her muscles turned to jelly as pleasure coursed through her.

This was what she needed, wanted from him. He wiped all thoughts from her mind and that was exactly what she needed. Contentment flowed over her when she thought of her lover and how he knew her so well.

                                                                                          ~oooooooo~

Shepard lay in bed with Pallin curled up beside her. She thought about moving, but all her muscles screamed against it. She could feel each bite mark and bruise and reveled in them. She wanted him to be more dominant and he had been. Their time together had been exactly the way she needed it. She had still been dominant, but he hadn’t been as passive as he had been in the past.

She glanced over at her lover and smiled. He was sleeping deeply. She could see how tired he was and worried for him. He looked stressed even in sleep.

Pallin felt her wake. He kept his body still, his breathing even. He didn’t know what to do. They had been together for six years and in those years he had watched, admired and wanted her. She had been his mate. Now her scent was different, as was her skin. She used to smell of honeysuckle, now she smelled like a predator. That smell brought out his base instincts. He wasn’t sure if he should be worried or just accept it. He knew it would never change the way he felt about her, but the changes threw him off slightly. She was still the Aaran Shepard that he had known and with whom he shared a bed. She hadn’t changed in that way.

He also noticed that her green eyes were changing. They were not the vibrant green she used to have; now they had a hint of yellow to them. She was stronger than she used to be and her skin was tougher, but he didn’t mind that. It was actually better. He didn’t need to be careful with her anymore. He could allow his full instincts to rise without fear of injuring her. There were so many changes - some of them good and some off-setting.  

He’d started wondering if all these changes would give them a chance to be a family. It was one of the main reasons he’d never married her. He hadn’t wanted to take away all her options. But if she had changed so much, maybe… just maybe they could have everything. He wanted this place to be a true home for them, with children. The only question was whether she even wanted children. He wasn’t getting younger; he was in his prime for a turian. It was time for him to settle down and there was nothing he wanted more.

He knew even if she didn’t want children he wouldn’t let it bother him. He would stay with her. She was his mate and he loved her, despite her many changes. “Verani, what has you so upset?” her heard her ask. He’d forgotten that she could feel his emotions. He was glad she had moved away when she did, or she would know everything he had been thinking.  

Slowly he opened his eyes and took her hand. With a small smile he watched the green eyes he loved so much turn a vibrant yellow. He knew what she was seeing and cringed. He didn’t know how she would react. He didn’t want her to think that he was forcing her into having a family. He couldn’t throw away their years together just because she didn’t want a family yet.

“You really want a family?” she asked softly, brushing her fingers along his mandible gently.  

“I don’t know, but I know you won’t give me children,” he said softly.

“I can’t, not right now. When Saren is captured then we can try if you still wish to,” she whispered.

“Do you mean it?” he asked worriedly.

“Yeah I mean it, but I am not sure how to do this,” she muttered, her uncertainty showing.

Pallin didn’t say a word. He didn’t ask for more. He pulled her close and wondered what step to take next. If she’d been turian, he would have to wait until she went into heat, but Aaran wasn’t turian. She went into heat, but it didn’t turn him on; it actually warned him away. Being near her during those few weeks was terrible, but he never said a word about it. Immediately following the ‘heat’ weeks would come what humans called a ‘period’. That was nearly as bad as when she was in heat. He was glad neither lasted very long. The heat would last two weeks, but only happened four times a year. The periods happened every month, however. He always knew when it was coming. That was when he would only enter the house with chocolates.

He wanted a child with her, but wasn’t ready to raise too much hope. He wasn’t even sure they could reproduce.  

                                                                                          ~oooooooooo~

Aaran sat in John’s office while he looked over her latest medical scans. “How do you feel?” he asked.

“My instincts are more profound, harder to ignore. Especially with Pallin,” she said softly.

“What do you mean?” John asked.

“Last night he said he wanted a child. A part of me was happy about it, but my instincts tell me that he has to prove himself. He’s not worthy yet,” she muttered, running an agitated hand through her hair.

“Did you tell him that?” John asked.

“No, I can’t do that to him. We’ve been together for years. He deserves a family,” she explained.

“I need to talk with Anderson and Hackett. Once I have, I should be able to answer more of your questions. Right now I can’t,” John told her.

“What is everyone hiding from me?” she asked coldly.

“Aaran, I can’t say, but I can tell you to expect more changes in your life,” John warned her before walking out of his office. Aaran took that as her cue to leave. With a frustrated sigh she grabbed her bag and left.

The Citadel was busy during this time; easy enough for her to get lost in the crowd. It was something that she needed at the moment. She saw a few of her crew members, but stayed in the crowd so they didn’t notice her.

Well, that was her plan, but Garrus found her, anyway. “Shepard, you look like you’re about to kill someone,” he joked.

“Hmm, don’t tempt me,” she smirked. She didn’t know how this turian did it, but he was able to make her laugh. He was so easy going and way too good at sarcasm and joking.

“So who do I have to arrest? Better yet, do I arrest them for stealing your coffee?” Garrus murmured with a grin.

“Oh, you are so funny,” Shepard grumbled. She looked over at the turian beside her, her expression turning serious.

“Oh damn! It’s never good when a female gets that serious look, no matter the race,” Garrus muttered with a grin. He looked at her curiously, wondering what had happened to change her mood. He rarely saw her upset about anything.

“Take a walk with me,” Aaran murmured as she walked toward the Normandy docking bay, away from the crowds.

“Something bothering you?” Garrus asked, leaning against a nearby railing.

“Yeah, turian culture. I’m at a loss,” she told him. Garrus let out a breath. He’d been afraid that this was going to be a discussion that would have him squirming for a week or more.

“What has you so confused?” he asked with a relieved smile.

“Don’t relax yet. Pallin wants children and they say that I am half turian. However, there is one big problem,” Aaran started and watched Garrus, judging his reaction.

Garrus started shifting uncomfortably, not sure what her question was going to be. He prayed to the spirits that it wouldn’t be too awkward. “What do you want to know?” he asked, cringing internally.

“My instincts tell me that Pallin needs to prove himself. That right now he isn’t worthy to father my children. Is that normal and why would that be?” she asked, looking at him expectantly.

Garrus sighed in relief. He’d thought it was going to be a lot worse, but this was a question that he could handle. “Most turians follow their instincts when choosing mates. We know what’s good enough for us and not,” he started. “It’s common for the male to have to prove himself to the female when they are considering procreation.”

“Well that answers that. I wonder if Pallin realizes this,” she murmured out loud.

“Yes, I am sure he does,” Garrus answered with a chuckle.  

“Thanks, it gives me something to think about,” she murmured. “I’m going to do some work and wait for the shipments. You should go enjoy yourself. We aren’t coming back here until Saren is caught.”

“You’re not going to see Executor Pallin before we leave?” Garrus asked with a raised brow ridge.

“Yeah, that might be a good idea,” Aaran murmured, giving Garrus a smile before leaving.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooooo~

Aaran walked into Verani’s office without being announced. She nodded to his secretary and was surprised when he didn’t say a word to her or try and stop her. She shrugged and watched Verani stare down at a datapad on his desk.

“What’s so interesting about that datapad?” she asked as she walked over to him, taking a seat on his desk instead of the nearby chair.

“Nothing. Just things for C-Sec,” he answered, tossing the pad off to the side. He raised a brow when he noticed her on his desk instead of a chair. Without saying a word he brought up his omnitool and locked the door.

“Locking the doors? Hmm, something wrong?” she purred as she slid off the desk and onto his lap.

“Not now,” he growled and nipped at her neck. His hand roamed over her clothed body and he allowed his claws to leave lines in their wake. He wasn’t going to hold back this time, just as he hadn’t in the shower or their bedroom.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooooo~

Shepard was surprised to find Garrus still waiting for her near the Normandy’s airlock. She noticed that he had already signed for both packages. She thought he would go about his duties, but instead he followed her into her office.

Her brow rose higher when he grabbed a stack and she followed suit, grabbing the remaining papers.  

He noticed the Prothean artifacts were still in their case on the floor. “Have you even looked at these yet?” Garrus asked.

“Nope, not yet. Not sure if I am going to,” she murmured as she filed one of the reports.

“Did you check out the dog tags?” Garrus asked, looking at her in confusion. He thought for sure that she would have taken a look at them.

“Shit, I forgot about those,” she muttered. Garrus leaned over and searched through the crate until he found the dog tags. He passed them over to Shepard.

She took the tags, and her eyes instantly widened. “No, this can’t be right,” she muttered, allowing them to dangle from her finger by the chain. She wanted them as far from her as possible. After reading the name she knew it would be a very bad idea to touch them too much.

“What is it?” Garrus asked, looking at her curiously.

“The dog tags say ‘Shepard, Amanda’. That was my mother’s name,” she murmured softly. “Why would she be in a Prothean ruin?”

“Did you know she worked for the Alliance?” Garrus asked, looking at her thoughtfully.

“No, she never said anything about what she did before I was born,” she answered.

“Maybe she was a researcher and found herself a nice little Prothean and decided to have Prothean hybrids,” Garrus joked.

Aaran stared at him startled for a moment before throwing her head back and laughing. His suggestion was so absurd that it erased the rest of her worry for the moment. “Now you’re going to tell me she teleported back in time just to meet this ‘supposed’ Prothean,” she snickered.

“What? You never know. It could happen,” he drawled mockingly.

“Thanks, Garrus, I needed this,” she chuckled and sat back in her chair.

“Anytime, Commander,” he murmured, still chuckling.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooo~

Shepard listened to the hum of the Normandy as it travelled through space. The noise was soothing after such a long day. She smiled softly as she thought of her farewell to Verani and her promise to return. She allowed herself to drift off to sleep; the thought of Verani soothing her.

_She stood in front of the beacon, voices echoing around her. “Every fifty thousand years they come. They destroy all in their path, take the organics. Make us one of them. This message is for the next generation, heed this warning.”_

_A large ship, similar to Saren’s, flew by and blotted out the sky. People screamed, crying out in fear. Warriors fought hard, but it wasn’t enough._

_Screams of fear, pain and frustration filled the air._

_“They come, they take us, change us, make us one of them.”_

_Aliens she felt a kinship to were captured, transformed. She could feel their pain as if it was her own. “They were no longer one of us, they were changed. Joining them…”_

_“We call them Reapers.”_

Shepard sat up in bed, gasping for air. Sweat beaded her brow. She groaned as her racing heart slowed. The images were still fresh in her mind and the words that had been spoken were making sense. She could understand them as if they were speaking her own language, yet she knew they hadn’t been.

She hugged her pillow close, fear still riding her. It was as if she had been there, one of those people. Her heart throbbed when she saw people holding out their hands as if warding off a blow; their fear palatable. A tear slipped from her eyes and she saw several couples holding one another in fear.

The Reapers… She didn’t know much about them, but the Protheans believed that they would come back. Saren was looking for a way to bring them back. They really needed to find the Conduit and stop Saren. Unfortunately, the beacon showed them nothing.

Most of the message was still broken; there were pieces missing. She understood some of it, but it made no sense to her.

She hoped they would get more information on Feros - something to help them. She sighed tiredly. There were too many questions and not enough answers.


	8. Chapter 8

Feros wasn’t what she expected. When she first met the colonists she knew something was amiss. There was something very wrong with them. At the time she hadn’t known the cause, but now she did. They had been indoctrinated by a creature called a thorian. When she’d first approached one of the residents, her skin crawled; now it felt like there were bugs running up and down her skin.  

They were below the colony in an old prothean ruin. It hadn’t taken them long to find the Thorian; the gigantic plant was located in a central chamber.

Aaran walked toward the plant, one hand stretched out to touch it. Garrus grabbed her, pulling her back. “What do you think you’re doing?” he hissed angrily.

“Reading it,” Aaran answered softly.

“That isn’t a good idea,” Wrex stated. They turned back to the plant when it began moving. Aaran’s eyes widened as an asari burst forth from the thorian.

Shepard listened to the new arrival, her shock growing as she discovered that Saren had beaten her to Feros; asking about the thorian and the protheans. She glanced at her team to gauge their reactions. They were focused on the asari as she announced that the thorian wasn’t willing to listen anymore. As Aaran expected she attacked.

“We need to stop the thorian,” Garrus muttered.

Aaran glanced at the long tendrils spread across the room. They appeared to be the only things holding the plant creature up. “Well, we know what we have to do,” she said, indicating the nearby appendages with a toss of her head.

                                                                           ~ooooooo~

Exhausted, the ground crew made their way to the main level once more. Every other ruin Aaran had entered felt like home; this was the first one that hadn’t. She wondered if that was because of the thorian’s presence.

She stopped next to the dead body of the thorian. She noticed the asari lying nearby on the ground. She knew the woman wasn’t dead. Aaran could still hear her heartbeat and was sure the others could, as well.

Aaran backed up a few steps when the asari slowly rose to her feet. “You freed me,” she murmured, the woman’s feelings of relief flowing over the commander.

Garrus and Wrex’s guns automatically came up and pointed steadily at the asari. Aaran wondered if she could hear their growls. She stepped next to Garrus without her gun drawn. She could feel her companions’ distrust washing over their target in waves.

Aaran moved slowly toward the asari, her biotics readied in case of a surprise attack. Shepard’s eyes narrowed when she noticed the change in the woman. Her thoughts were calmer, not as chaotic. She was hesitant to touch her.

“Shepard…?” Garrus’ voice held a warning and a question.

“She’s different. I can feel it,” Aaran answered slowly as she kept moving slowly toward the asari.

“You sure about that?” Wrex asked, a growl still clear in his voice.

“Yeah I am,” Shepard answered and quickly reached out, grabbing the asari’s arms roughly. 

_Saren stood in front of the thorian, promising the creature people for it to use. He lied - this woman knew that. Then Saren gave her over to the thorian as his interpreter, and betrayal swept through her for a moment before being washed away._

_There was a cypher, and the thorian was the key. The asari gave Saren what he needed, wanted. He repaid her devotion by leaving her alone as the thorian’s thrall._

“What does the cypher do?” Aaran asked.

“The protheans’ minds were different than ours. To understand the beacon you need to understand them - their culture, their language. The cypher gives you this. It will help you understand,” the asari answered.

Shepard bowed her head, flashes of the beacon running through her mind. She glanced up at the asari. “Can you give me the cypher?” Aaran asked.

“Shepard, you can’t be serious! You don’t know if this is a trick,” Garrus growled.

“It’s not a trick. She gave it to Saren. I watched her do it,” Shepard stated, and Garrus fell silent at her words. He knew better than to argue. He knew she wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks with her life. Though he wasn’t sure what was about to happen. Whenever the commander came in contact with something prothean, odd things happened to her. He moved closer to protect her if needed.

Aaran allowed the asari to enter her mind and it felt like an invasion. Automatically she thrust the woman out. “I can’t give it to you if you don’t let me in,” the woman stated, looking at her uncertainly.

“No, I’ll take it myself. You’re not entering my mind,” Aaran bit out coldly.

She once more grabbed the asari’s arms. Aaran could feel her emotions and thoughts. She wanted more, needed the information. Without second guessing her instincts she shoved passed the asari’s mental barriers and found the information she was looking for.

Images and thoughts that weren’t her own, and a language that called to her, filled her mind. It all thrummed through her like a drum beat. Her eyes fluttered closed and her body relaxed. Something deep within her seemed to shift and all the information finally made sense.

Garrus moved quickly when Shepard passed out. He was surprised by the reaction. She had been standing there swaying and then her whole body went limp. “What did you do?” Garrus asked sharply. Wrex moved up beside Garrus, ready to take the asari apart. He growled low, his hands clenched at his sides. It would only take a moment and they wouldn’t have to worry about her ever again.  

“I didn’t do anything! She took the cypher from me. _She_ entered _my_ mind,” the asari cried out frantically. “Her mind absorbed everything it found; so unlike Saren. I had to force his mind to comprehend the cypher.”

“Damn! She smells of the truth,” Wrex grumbled as he glared at the asari.

Garrus turned to Wrex. “Radio Joker. Tell him to have Chakwas waiting at the airlock for us. Shepard is down,” he said urgently. He was surprised to see Wrex take his orders without argument. He should have known it would be that way, since Shepard was the one in trouble. The commander had Wrex’s full respect and fear.

“Can…can I leave?” the asari asked timidly.

“For now, but if we find out you had something to do with this…” Garrus trailed off, the warning clear enough that he didn’t need to finish. He watched the fear in the asari’s eyes rise and knew she understood.

“I’ll be back and you’ll be begging,” Wrex finished, watching the asari quiver in fear with great satisfaction.  

                                                            ~oooooooooooo~

Chakwas found herself staring at Shepard’s scans once more. She shook her head, once more her brain waves were off the chart; more so now than ever before. She didn’t understand it. Any human with brain waves like this would have had a stroke by now. She sighed, looking at the rest of her results. Heart rate was slightly different, blood pressure was lower. The saddest part was that she didn’t know if any of it was good or bad.

Shepard’s physiology had changed so much since Chakwas first met her. The few times her blood work came back odd, she had sent it to Frank; per Anderson’s orders.

Chakwas glanced up when the doors to the medbay opened. “How is she?” Kaidan asked.

“Not sure,” Chakwas answered as Kaidan looked over Shepard’s brain wave results.

“We should head to the Citadel. These patterns are extremely irregular,” Kaidan muttered worriedly.

“This is similar to her last two scans,” Chakwas told him as she looked down at the commander.

“Is this a normal scan for turians?” Kaidan asked quietly.

“No,” Chakwas answered firmly, discouraging any further inquiries. They watched the commander’s eyes flutter as if in a dream.

_A man with four eyes stood in front of the beacon. No words were spoken, but fear and desperation clung to him._

_“Will it last?” The commander asked. She remembered seeing this man before, but she’d been unable to understand him. The one who had been facing the beacon turned to him. The commander was dressed in armor, similar to that worn by earth’s ancient Samurai. His eyes were hard and cold, but held an inner strength; a certainty of himself._

_“It should, but nothing is ever certain. If it’s damaged, some of the message could be lost, Commander,” the one who had been staring at the beacon stated._

_“This is our last stand. Get to your pod,” the commander ordered._

_The commander walked over to the probe with a confidence that was missing in this race. His gaze swung around behind him and he took off running._

_…People screamed, the protheans were being taken, changed… Despair hung heavy in the air as worlds were wiped out. The war was near its end. The warning rang loud in the beacon._

_Prepare for the Reapers…_

Shepard sat straight up, glancing around wildly. She was in the medbay once more. She caught sight of Chakwas and Kaidan. They were talking quietly nearby. Her mind flashed back to the protheans she had seen; specifically the one in armor. She was startled when she heard herself purr. Her eyes widened in horror that she would make that sound for a man long dead.

“Good, you’re awake. What happened?” Chakwas asked.

“Answers,” Shepard stated, her eyes turning cold as she stared at the doctor. “You, Anderson and Hackett have a lot to answer for.”

“Commander?” Chakwas asked hesitantly. Her eyes widened when Shepard started speaking in a language that she didn’t understand.

 **“The three of you lied to me. I am Prothean, not turian,”** Shepard growled low before exiting the bed. She didn’t say another word as she walked out of the medbay toward her office. She sat at her desk and stared at the box of prothean artifacts. The same artifacts that she had been avoiding - the ones in which they had found her mother’s dog tags.

She picked up a black shard…

_“Aaran, the Reapers are heading this way,” a prothean stated, his voice filled with warning._

_“Are the pods ready?” Aaran asked urgently._

_“Yes, but we’re not sure if there is enough power. Two power supplies have been disabled. We found the saboteur, but it’s too late. Only half of our people will survive,” the other man stated._

_“Make sure the hierarchy survives. Take power from the others if need be,” Aaran ordered coldly._

_“Yes, sir. We have your pod already waiting for you,” the other man told him._

_“No, not yet,” Aaran growled, his four eyes narrowed in warning._

_“If you don’t go now, there will be no other chance. The army here can only hold them off for so long,” the other man stated firmly, his face filled with worry._

_“Our race will flourish again. Once the Reapers are gone, we will thrive as we once did,” Aaran vowed before walking away._

_~oooooo~_

_Amanda sat on a rock with Aaran watching her. He shook his head, disgusted by the turn of events. He was stuck with a primitive. His mind was too far advanced for her, yet he needed to rebuild his race. He knew he needed to impregnate the woman, but didn’t know if it was even possible._

_Without another thought he moved over to the woman, lightly touching her shoulder. Her thoughts were chaotic, not fluid like his own. Her emotions were volatile, held in check just below the surface. His hopes diminished as he walked away. The Prothean Empire would die with him. He was the last of his kind. He could feel the death of his people around him and knew that there was no hope. This primitive race wasn’t ready to face the Reapers. They would be destroyed as his people were - only quicker._

_He stared at the only home he knew, crumbling around him; no longer resembling the grand building it once was. His personal suites were gone, along with his friends and family; though that didn’t bother him as much. He was used to death. It was something all protheans were used to. Many of their people died at the hands of the Reapers._

_“The radio is working, but the signal isn’t strong enough,” the woman named Amanda told him. He already knew that._

_“Then we find another way,” he bit out in frustration._

_“There is no other way. We didn’t bring the necessary tools with us and I am not a technician,” she snapped. His eyes widened at the fire the woman displayed, that she would snap at him without fear. Maybe there was hope, but he honestly didn’t think so._

_“Primitives,” he spat, glaring at her._

_“And what is your point? Insult us all you want. It won’t make anything better and we will still be stuck here,” Amanda mocked._

_Aaran didn’t bother replying; it wasn’t worth it. He turned to the woman, wondering if there was any surviving prothean tech left in the area. He noticed that she held one of their disks. It wasn’t a lot of help, but it held information from his people. If that survived, maybe something else had, as well._

_“What?” Amanda asked warily, and he smirked at how timid she sounded._

_“Where did you find that?” he asked, keeping his voice authoritative._

_“In the ruins. I assume that is was a science lab of some type. It was the only salvageable thing in the room,” she stated._

_The only thing she thought salvageable, but he might find more and be able to connect to one of the probes to see if there were any more of his people alive. He nodded. He would see this lab and hope there was something of use there._

Shepard slowly opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. She knew she had just seen her mother and father. Her chest gave a painful twinge when she thought of her mother.

She picked up the lighter colored memory shard and closed her eyes, but saw nothing. Her brow furrowed, wondering why it was empty. It didn’t feel empty, but it showed her nothing. She didn’t understand it, but she wasn’t going to dwell on it, either.

She glanced at the trinket she’d received from the Consort, remembering that she said it would open something for her. She wasn’t sure where or what, but she intended to find out, especially now.

Aaran gripped the trinket in her hand… _mountains, a valley, a large orb hidden in the center._ She opened her eyes. “Joker, take us to Eletania,” Aaran commanded.

“We’ll be there in a few hours,” Joker told her.

“Joker, are we near a com buoy?” she asked.

“Yes we are, commander. Do you want me to patch you through to the Council?” he asked.

“No, patch me through to Hackett,” she ordered and then waited. She gave a sneering smirk when Hackett appeared on her terminal.

“Commander, is there a problem?” Hackett asked, giving her a curious look. She usually didn’t contact him out of the blue while on an important mission.

“Answer me one question, Admiral. What have you been hiding from me about my parentage?” she asked coldly.

“What do you know?” Hackett countered. He could feel sweat building on his brow.

“I know you’ve been hiding the fact that I am prothean, but I want to know why?” she asked with a hard edge to her voice.

“We thought it was for the best that you didn’t know. There are only five people that know - Anderson, John, Frank, Dr. Chakwas and myself,” Hackett answered. “If anyone else would have found out, you would have become the subject of experimentation and possibly even more. We couldn’t allow that, so we kept it a secret from you, too.”

“I saw my father in one of the prothean artifacts we’ve collected. I’m supposed to send it to the council,” she told him.

“No, keep what you find. It would take us years to figure out what is on them, whereas I am guessing it only takes you a few moments?” he asked and gave her a questioning glance.

“Yeah, there is something else you need to know. The prothean beacon we found on Eden Prime. It’s a warning about a race called the Reapers. They appear every fifty thousand years. They were the reason that the protheans were destroyed,” she told him. “It’s a warning for us to prepare.”

“Is there anything else you know?” Hackett asked.

“Their language and culture,” she answered with a shrug.

“I’ll let John and Frank know about this. I’m sure John will have many questions for you,” Hackett stated before cutting their link.

She glanced over her shoulder when her door opened. Her brow rose when she saw Garrus standing there. “Is it true?” he asked, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

“Is what true?” she asked with a quizzical look.

“That you are half-prothean?” he replied.

“How did you find out?” she asked, shocked.

“Kaidan. He said you were speaking an odd language in the medbay. From there it wasn’t hard to figure out. You always react to anything prothean, and your eyes turn a color that is neither human nor turian. Also, any time you come in contact with something prothean, you seem to change. After the beacon your scent changed, and since then there have been several other indications,” Garrus said as he ticked off each point on his claws.

“Yeah, it’s true. I’m half-prothean,” she answered tiredly.

“Are you going to tell Pallin?” he asked, worried for his boss.

“I have to, especially after our last conversation,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“No, you don’t have to. Are you sure it’s safe to tell people?” Garrus asked pointedly.

“To be honest, I don’t know,” she answered, her voice sounding as tired as she felt.

“Then I wouldn’t say anything. Everyone already knows you are a hybrid. They don’t need to know which races comprise it,” Garrus told her firmly, worry in his eyes.

“Garrus, why are you so concerned about this?” she asked, giving him a curious glance. She sniffed the air, but didn’t detect anything out of the ordinary.

“Because you are the only one capable of bringing Saren down and not because of your genes, but your sheer determination,” he snapped before storming out of the room. She looked at the door in shock, not sure what to make of his reaction. She didn’t understand why he was so upset. She thought about following him and getting to the bottom of it. She knew it wasn’t because he lusted after her, she would have smelled that, so it made no sense. He had been very protective since she’d helped him locate and defeat the illegal organ doctor that he’d hunted while in C-Sec, but she wasn’t sure what had changed.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooo~

They found the orb, and Aaran stood before it in awe. “What is that?” Garrus asked.

“Information,” she answered, placing the trinket in a small open slot on the device.

_She stood in a lush forest. Not far away a man stood with a club as a weapon. Above her was a ship. Watching it, she turned her attention back to the man. He looked like a primitive human from pictures she had seen._

_The Protheans had been watching them as they developed…_

_She stood on the ship and protheans surrounded her. “They will make excellent candidates to join our empire,” one of them said._

_“That won’t happen for years. They are still too young,” another commented._

_“Their genetic code allows them to adapt easier than any other young species we’ve encountered,” the first one told him._

She blinked her eyes open. “What did you see?” Liara asked, her eyes bright with wonder.

“They were watching my people thousands of years ago, while we still lived in caves,” Aaran told them.

Liara looked at her disappointedly. She had to admit to slight disappointment, as well. She thought she would find a wealth of information, but that wasn’t it at all. It only showed her what she’d already presumed.

“When the humans were advanced enough they had planned on asking us to join their empire,” Aaran told her.

She glanced at Garrus with a raised brow. “You’re very quiet,” she murmured.

“I’m just wondering if they watched every race,” he shrugged.

“Probably,” she answered with a chuckle. “I know I would if I was that advanced.”

Those words seemed to sooth him. She reached out and touched his arm. He knew what she was capable of and didn’t back up. Instead he looked into her eyes and waited. She didn’t see much that she didn’t already know, but it was the emotions that held her attention. There was loyalty, dedication, and a deep respect for her. He looked up to her. He considered her one of the few friends that he had. She was glad there were no romantic or awkward feelings.

“Garrus, thank you,” she murmured, bumping her shoulder against his affectionately; walking toward the Mako and ignoring Liara’s confused look.


	9. chapter 9

Aaran sighed, her head bowed. She had just killed a noble krogan. She had no choice; he wouldn’t back down. He wanted her to save Saren’s krogan experiments and she couldn’t do that. If the laboratory krogans had free will, then yes she could have; but these were Saren’s pawns. They needed to die.

She gave a watered down version of her usual smile when she felt her team approaching. There was no condemnation in their eyes for what she was forced to do. Garrus still looked at her with certainty and Kaidan gave her a reassuring nod. Ashley didn’t seem to care one way or the other. Liara was the only one who wore a startled expression.

“Ashley, you’re with the salarians. Kaidan, your job is the bomb. Protect it with your life. We need that bomb,” Aaran ordered.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooo~

They stepped into an outer room, hoping that Saren’s office was nearby. She watched as an asari walked over to them. Her eyes narrowed in warning and she let out a soft growl. She listened as the woman told her everything she knew.

They walked through the door the asari had indicated. Her eyes widened. She didn’t need anyone to tell her - she could feel it. A prothean beacon was near. She walked slowly toward the beacon. The final piece of the message was there.

_A leader stood staring at the beacon. Anger, rage and acceptance filled his features. He took a step forward. “Hopefully the new age will heed this warning. The Reapers will come and decimate all in their path,” he murmured._

_He glanced over his shoulder and a scientist came into view. “It’s ready, Commander,” the scientist told him with a nod._

_“Good. Make sure our knowledge is stored on it before you go to your pod,” the commander ordered before running away._

_Every 50,000 years the Reapers come and destroy all advanced sentient life. All beings are taken and forced to join the Reapers. The protheans fought for centuries, never winning. The protheans on Ilos placed themselves in stasis pods, waiting for the Reapers to go back to deep space before waking._

“What did it say this time?” Garrus asked, one hand on her shoulder to help steady her.

“It tells of the Reapers arrival every 50,000 years to decimate all sentient life. It took them centuries to defeat the protheans, so the protheans placed themselves into stasis pods until the Reapers returned back to deep space,” she told them.

“Shepard, you should come and see this,” Liara called out to her.

She walked over to the a nearby, her eyes widening. Hovering before here was a Reaper named Sovereign - Saren’s ship. She should have guessed that it was a Reaper. They listened to what it had to say. None of it was new to Shepard, not now.

“We need to get to Ilos,” she whispered. “The conduit is there.”

                                                                           ~oooooooooo~

Shepard sat on her bed, sadness eating at her. She had just sent Ashley to her death. It was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. She remembered the happier times when she and Ashley would sit at the weapons bench, cleaning guns as they chatted. The crew sitting in the mess hall playing Skyllian Five. She and Ashley, staying up late and drinking hot chocolate as they talked.

It was a horrible choice to make, but they had to protect the bomb. There had been no other option. She knew it wouldn’t be the last hard choice she would have to make - the Reapers were coming and more friends would be lost before they were defeated.

She knew she should be out there with the crew, bolstering them after losing one of their own, but she couldn’t at the moment.

Her thoughts turned to Pallin and a sad smile came to her. She wondered if she would ever be able to settle down and have kids with him. At the moment it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. Not with the information she had. The Reapers were coming sooner than any of them liked. If they didn’t stop Saren it would be sooner than they wanted.

She couldn’t shake her sadness. She needed to hear his voice. Quickly she punched in his number and waited for him to answer. When he didn’t answer right away she wondered if he was at home or in a meeting. She was just about to hang up when he finally answered.

“Aaran,” he began and she watched his eyes light up. She knew then that she’d made the right decision.

“Are you busy?” she asked softly.

“No, I was occupied when you called,” Verani muttered, his neck starting to flush. Her eyes narrowed, trying to read between the lines. She was annoyed that it was going straight over her head.

“Aaran,” Pallin smirked, giving her a knowing look. All thoughts stopped when it dawned on her what he was hinting at. Her grin grew bigger as she watched him flush further.

“I’ll make it up to you when I get back there,” she murmured with a grin.

“Oh, I know you will,” Verani purred. She allowed his purr to sooth her.

Verani took a good look at Aaran and noticed more changes. The green eyes she’d once had were no more; now they were yellow. Her skin was thicker still, but not as thick as most other races. Her voice had changed somewhat. He wondered if anyone else noticed that she was starting to develop the dual tone that was common to both turians and drells. But what he noticed most was the troubled look he saw lurking in her eyes just before he’d admitted what he had done.

“What happened?” he asked softly.

“I lost two people today. The krogan, Wrex, and Ashley. I had to kill Wrex myself; he gave me no choice. With Ashley, I had to choose between saving her life or Kaidan’s. I chose for Kaidan to live,” she told him.

“It’s always hard to choose, but it’s something you have to get used to when you are in command. You know this as well as I,” Verani stated in a firm voice as if he was talking to someone under his command.

“Oh I know that. It’s easy enough to say, but to actually have it happen is harder than I thought,” she grumbled.

“Aaran, you’ll probably have to make many more choices that you won’t like. I would pat you on the back and say it’s alright, but that’s not what you need,” Verani said with a pointed look.

“Yeah, you’re right. But I still don’t have to like it,” she grumbled with a mock pout that had him chuckling. “On another note, I’m heading to the Citadel as we speak. The Council wants to talk to me about something. So if I have a chance I’ll stop in. We are so close to stopping Saren. We know where he is heading and the Council knows this, but they ordered me back to the Citadel,” she muttered with a scowl.

Pallin scowled also. He couldn’t believe the Council would do this. He had to shake his head at their stupidity at times. “I’ll be at the office if you have a chance to stop by,” he told her, hiding his concern.

“If I have a chance and I do make it to your office, we need to talk about something important. I can’t talk about it over open channels,” she murmured with a grin to ease his mind.

Pallin raised a brow ridge. He wasn’t worried, but his curiosity was piqued. “I’ll talk with you later on,” he murmured before cutting communications.

She glanced up when her door opened. She didn’t need to be told who it was. Garrus stood at her door looking awkward. “What is it, Garrus?” she asked irritably. She really didn’t want to be bothered at this moment.

“Just came to see how you are doing,” Garrus answered as he took a seat in one of the chairs. He had heard her talking with Pallin through the door, so he’d waited before entering.

“Better than I was,” she muttered with a smirk. “Talking with Verani helped a lot.”

“You do realize that the crew needs you out there with them. They just lost two team mates and they need their commanding officer,” Garrus reminded her, remembering all of Pallin’s lectures.

“Yeah I was just told that. I’ll be heading out there in a few moments,” she stated with a shake of her head.

“Something is still bothering you,” Garrus stated and didn’t flinch when her yellow eyes turned cold.

“The fucking Council wants me back on the Citadel. So that is where we are heading right now instead of following Saren,” she bit out coldly.

“That’s not good. Be careful, Shepard. You know what the Council is like,” Garrus warned her. Nothing else needed to be said.

“That may be so, but they are paying my checks. And if they betray me, they’ll learn what I am capable of,” she replied and gave a cruel smile.

Garrus shivered when he saw the smile. He knew Shepard had been changing over the course of the mission, but now she smelled like a predator - something to be feared. He knew without being told that her prothean side was seeping out.  If that scent had been on anyone other than Shepard, he would have warned them away as a turian would. But this was Shepard, and he felt no need to warn her away. He trusted her implicitly.  

“Well, remember that the races need the Council,” Garrus warned her. He watched the now permanent yellow of her eyes turn brighter. He stood slowly, just in case.

“They will not stop me,” she growled. Garrus stared at her in wonder. Every other time her eyes turned her voice turned cold. This time her voice wasn’t just cold; it had the multi-tone that his race and a few others were known for.

“If you say so, but the only way you can make sure of that is by killing the Council. Are you ready to start a war?” Garrus asked, trying to be logical.

He smirked when her eyes started going back to normal. He knew that he’d just won the argument. “So are you coming out?” Garrus asked.

“Yeah, I’m going to check on everyone. Make sure no one is thinking about jumping out of the airlock before I have a chance to push one of them,” she answered with a mischievous grin that made Garrus chuckle. “And, Garrus, thanks for coming to check up on me. I know Pallin ordered you to watch over me and I know you are only doing your job, but thanks anyway.”

“Hey, Shepard, Pallin may have ordered me onto this ship. But for some months now I’ve been doing what I wanted to do. You’re a good friend. I’m not checking up on you because of Pallin,” Garrus stated heatedly.

Aaran rose to her feet and walked over to him. She kept her gaze on him, never breaking it. It was a sign of trust and respect for what she was about to. She walked up to him and nudged his shoulder with her head, emitting a deep purr. If they were in public it would be a shaking of forearms, but in private it was slightly more intimate contract.

She smiled when she heard the shocked gasp turn into a purr. She felt him nudge her head affectionately before backing away.   

                                                                           ~ooooooooooo~

Shepard paced her ship. She’d just been informed by the Council that the Normandy was grounded. She blamed Udina for the entire fiasco. She had promised herself that she would kill Udina at some point. When that time came she would take great pleasure in the act.

“Shepard, you’re going to wear a hole in the decks,” Garrus commented when he saw her make another round. He grinned when she growled at him. “Fine, but when it comes to paying for the damages don’t take it out of my pay.” She stopped and smirked, just as he knew she would.

“Can’t you let me be angry?” she asked with a roll of her eyes.

“Let me think about that… No. A mad Shepard is a dangerous Shepard,” Garrus murmured with smirk.

“He does have a point, Shepard,” Kaidan asked with a raised brow.

“And that point is?” she growled, her eyes narrowing in warning.

“Well considering that we are docked at the Citadel, there are no enemies here. You being pissed off with no enemies around is bad for our health,” Kaidan stated with a smug expression.

“Shepard, you have an incoming priority message. Sorry, you have two incoming messages mark priority… Make that three…” Joker remarked with amusement. She nearly raced to her office to check her computer

“Three priority messages?” Kaidan murmured. “That has to be a first.”

“I’m betting one is from Pallin, her mate. The second would be from the Turian Ambassador, since it was Udina that basically grounded her. He would love any chance to ruin Udina’s day,” Garrus murmured.

“What about the third?” Kaidan asked, curious to see just how well this turian knew Shepard.

“My best guess would be your Admiral Hackett or Captain Anderson,” Garrus answered with a shrug.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran stared dumbfounded at her screen. The first message she took was Pallin’s. He had found out that she was banned from leaving the Citadel with Saren on the loose. He was not happy. He was currently attempting to find a way to get her off of the Citadel. The second message was from the Turian Ambassador. He was also not happy that she was grounded by Udina, no less. So he was also looking for a way to get her off of the Citadel - just to irk Udina. She told him to talk with Pallin. The last person she talked with had been Anderson. His thoughts mimicked the first two. He wanted her to meet him at the Dark Star Lounge. Instead, she sent him to Pallin and Dallin.

The messages balanced, she left to stand behind Joker. “When the light turns green, get us the fuck out of here quickly,” she told him firmly, using her ‘commander’s’ tone.

“You got it,” Joker answered with a grin as he prepped the ship for departure. They both watched the display, waiting for the light to turn green. They didn’t know how long it would take those three to come up with something, but Aaran hoped they would move quickly.

She grinned as she saw the light flash green. She didn’t have to say a word - they pulled out at break neck speed. With a light pat on Joker’s shoulder she headed to the mess hall.

Kaidan and Garrus were seated at a table quietly talking. She took a seat beside them. “So, we are now on our way to Ilos,” she announced with a grin.

“How did you pull that off?” Kaidan asked.

“It wasn’t me. It was the three people that called,” she stated triumphantly.

“Who called?” Garrus asked with a smirk at Kaidan.

“Verani, Dallin, and David,” she answered with a raised brow when Garrus looked at her questioningly.

“Dallin and David, who are they?” both Kaidan and Garrus asked.

“Dallin is the Turian Ambassador and David is Captain Anderson,” she said with a shake of her head.

“You call Anderson by his first name?” Kaidan questioned with a shocked look.

“Since I was sixteen. The only time I didn’t was when he was my commanding officer,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Anyway, I would suggest that you get some rest. Once we reach Ilos all hell is going to break loose. I’m going to call those three and thank them.”

They watched as she walked to her office. For such a small woman she had the respect of so many. They both shook their heads when they realized how far some people were willing to go for the commander.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Quickly she placed a vid call to her house and hoped Verani would be there. She grinned when he answered on the first attempt. “So how did the three of you make this little miracle happen?” she asked.

“Dallin kept Udina busy, Anderson went into Udina’s office and released the Normandy, and I made sure there were no logs of any of it,” Verani answered with a grin. “It seems Dallin has a new respect for another human. So that’s two now. Anderson really impressed him.”

“I thought he would like Anderson,” she grinned. “We are on our way to Ilos. Should be there in two days or a little more.”

“Aaran, make sure you get Saren. He needs to pay for his crimes,” Verani stated passionately.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get him if he’s still on Ilos,” she told him fiercely. “Then, when I have his ass, you and I have some business to attend to.”

“And what might that be, mate?” he murmured with a devious grin.

“You wanted to become a father. When this is done, we’ll see if it’s even possible,” she told him. She made sure he could see the certainty in her eyes. But first he would have to prove himself. She couldn’t do anything unless he could do that. How that was supposed to happen she didn’t have a clue.

“I should contact your other helpers,” she said sadly. She didn’t want to stop talking to him, but she knew she had no choice.

“One question before you disappear. What did you want to tell me before?” Verani asked quietly. He hoped she would tell him. It had been bothering him.

“You know how things have been changing for me and how they say I am a turian – human hybrid? I’m not. I’m a prothean - human hybrid. Hackett confirmed it,” she answered softly.

“But how can that be? The protheans have been dead for thousands of years,” Pallin murmured in astonishment.

“Beats the hell out of me,” she muttered with a shrug.

“Well it will be interesting to see the changes in you,” Verani purred suggestively.

“I’ll hold you to that. Once I’ve dealt with Saren, I would suggest you take a few days off,” she said and gave him a suggestive smile that had him growling his pleasure.

They spoke for a few more minutes before cutting communications. Her next call was to Anderson. She smirked when he appeared before her.

“I take it there were no problems?” Shepard asked with a knowing grin.

“The Executor took care of that area nicely. Your ambassador handled Udina, but I’ll let him tell you all about that,” Anderson murmured with a grin.

“Good. I’m glad that there were no problems,” She sighed in relief.

“Hackett informed me that you know the truth of your parentage,” Anderson commented, not able to meet her eyes. He had hated keeping it from her, but there hadn’t been a choice.

“I knew before I confronted him. My last contact with a prothean artifact woke something inside of me,” she told him.

“I should let you go. You have a lot to prepare for,” Anderson said with a pointed look.

“Yeah, I still need to speak with Dallin,” Shepard stated before ending the call.

She immediately called Dallin.

“Good. I knew you would call,” Dallin stated with a smirk.

“I owe you a huge thank you,” she said with a grin.

“I’m sending you a video. You owe me more than a thank you,” Dallin stated with a chuckle. “Watch it when you have time.”

“Dallin, I’ve never seen you smile this much. What did you do?” she asked with an amused grin.

“You’ll see,” he laughed. “Oh and Shepard? Make sure you get Saren.”

“Don’t worry. I plan on nailing his ass,” she smiled coldly.

Dallin gave her a perplexed look. “I know nailing is a euphemism for sex with you humans. I don’t think Pallin will be too happy with you if you nailed him. Nor do I think it’s possible for you to do what you suggested,” he said with confusion.

“It can also mean that I’ll kill him. The term is not just sexual, though it can be,” she explained, wiping any amusement she found in this conversation off her face. She knew that he would be offended if she started laughing now.

“Then you go ahead and ‘nail his ass’,” he chuckled, quickly vanishing from view.

She glanced over her shoulder when her door opened. She wasn’t expecting visitors.

“Tali and Kaidan should be here shortly. Kaidan is bringing the deck of cards. We came up with a plan to have a game before going into the big battle,” Garrus told her as he moved a few chairs from the mess hall to her room.

Garrus made his way back to Shepard’s room to find everyone including Liara there. He placed two bottles onto the table. They were non-alcoholic. They didn’t need their brains addled before the big fight. He had to smile. A year on this ship and he had found a family of sorts. Shepard kept them all together. If it hadn’t been for her he would bet his pay check that no human or alien would have gotten along. He still didn’t know how she did it. He had a deep respect for her, one that wouldn’t break easily. He knew if she ever called upon him, he would follow her into hell. He was pretty sure that was the way the others felt, as well.

Garrus took his seat, listening to the ribbing and bantering. It was as though there was no suicide mission before them. They were just friends, sitting around and enjoying themselves. They didn’t have alcohol on hand. Instead they had juices and other drinks. Tali sat across from him and Shepard was beside him. Kaidan sat in between Tali and Liara, and no one thought anything of having aliens and humans at the same table, ribbing each other.

                                                                                          ~ooooooo~

It was later that night. Everyone was in bed and Shepard couldn’t sleep until she saw what Dallin had sent her. She opened the file and pressed ‘play’ on the video. Her eyes widened and a large, shit-eating grin split her face.

She watched as Dallin’s fist connected to the side of Udina’s face. Her grin turned larger as Udina fell to the floor, holding the side of his face. She could see the fear in the human’s eyes and knew that she owed Dallin a huge ‘thank you’.

She pressed play again and listened to what was being said. _“What do you want, Turian?” Udina spat contemptuously._

_“Leave Shepard alone. She doesn’t need your interference at every turn. Saren is a menace. He needs to be stopped and she is the only one that can do it,” Dallin snarled._

_“Shepard is a loose canon. She should not be in control of the Normandy. She should be in a lab where we can learn more about her. Yes, I know what she is and in about ten minutes she will be escorted off the Normandy and placed in one of our science labs,” Udina chortled._

_Dallin’s fist snapped out, connecting to the side of Udina’s face. “You will not touch Shepard,” Dallin snarled, bring his face close to the human’s. “I’ll see you dead before that happens.”_

Shepard watched the video a few more times before retiring. She couldn’t keep the grin off of her face even as she drifted off to sleep.

                                                                           ~ooooooooo~

Ilos wasn’t what anyone expected. She looked around the ancient ruins, breathing in the stale air and wondered what this place would have been like fifty thousand years before.

She was most angry that there were so many geth desecrating the area. The team cleared everything in their path and now stood in front of an ancient console. Shepard listened to what it said while the others waited patiently and looked to her expectantly.

She stepped back from the console. “What did it say?” Kaidan asked.

“It was broken up. What it said made no sense - there was too much damage,” she answered. She noticed a disk sitting in a container. She didn’t need to say a word. Garrus collected it, passing it over to her. She noticed Kaidan pick up a shard like the others she’d found. “Kaidan, can I see that?” she asked as she held out her hand.

_Protheans moved about, looking over research. Their project was done, now all they had to do was use it. They planned on doing that the following day, but the Reapers had found them. Many moved to stasis pods, hoping they would see another day._

_They had a way to stop them, but they needed to get to the Citadel. That was the conduit - the Citadel. It would allow the Reapers to come from dark space. A scientist took the shard with him as he climbed into his pod._

_Reapers swarmed the area, but found no one. Decades passed and life returned; a few stasis pods opened. Many had died so that they could survive. They needed to finish what had been started._

Shepard woke, glancing around her. It had been here. This was where some had survived. “We have to go,” she stated, racing toward the mako now that the barrier blocking their path had vanished.

She groaned when they were forced to stop at another barrier. They left the mako. Garrus was beside her, with Liara and Kaidan bringing up the rear. Tali had opted to stay onboard the ship. She thought that was where she would be the most use, so Aaran hadn’t pushed.

“What do you think we’ll find?” Kaidan asked the group.

“Who knows,” Aaran muttered. Her eyes widened when they stopped in front of an AI.

“One of you has prothean genetic markers,” it said before moving close to Aaran.

“I do. I’m half-prothean,” Shepard told it. “We need to know how to get to the conduit.”

They stood there listening to the AI’s story. It was informative, but very sad. Shepard felt it like a punch to the gut. Yet another prothean home without survivors. It actually hurt to think about it. She had hoped to find one survivor somewhere, but she knew that would never happen. Their idea of stasis pods had been great, but it backfired on them. There hadn’t been enough power to maintain them for fifty thousand years.

                                                                           ~oooooo~

They stood on the Citadel - the seat of power, but also a Reaper trap. Many cultures had used it and it had been their demise. She walked over to Alva, the holographic Citadel guide. “Where is the Council?” she asked.

“The Council is aboard the Destiny Ascension,” the AI answered.

“Where are Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson?” she continued.

“Unknown,” was the answer.

“Where is Executor Pallin?” Shepard asked, almost choking on the words. She feared the worst, but hoped that he was safe.

“Executor Pallin’s vital signs vanished not long ago when geth were detected in Spectre Shepard’s apartment. The route to Spectre Shepard’s apartment is not accessible.” It was the answer she had been dreading. A choked gasp escaped her as she stepped away. Her worst fear was confirmed - Pallin was dead. She covered her face with both hands for a moment as she felt the first tear fall. Taking deep breaths, she forced herself to swallow her emotions before she completely lost control. A low rumbling growl started deep within her and her cold eyes met those of her team mates. “Let’s go! I have a score to settle with that fucking asshole,” she growled low and menacingly, stalking to the elevators. She didn’t bother checking to see if they were behind her. She didn’t care at that moment. Her one goal was in the Council chambers and with or without her team, she was heading there.

 

She cursed as they corridor before them stopped suddenly. “Shit, it looks like we are going out. Garrus, want to do the honors?” she asked, nodding toward the window. Garrus grinned, shattering the window with his fist.

Normally when they approached an enemy that they were uncertain of, the team used caution. This time, Aaran didn’t have the patience. She used all her abilities. She would lift an opponent up and smash them against nearby objects. She shoved the enemies away from her team with enough force to kill them instantly.

“So, Shepard, is it true that you are part prothean?” Kaidan asked when there weren’t any enemies nearby.

“Yeah. It’s true. In one of the shards that I collected from a planet I saw my father,” she told him.

Kaidan’s eyes widened so far that it was almost painful. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. He almost didn’t believe; but he had seen Shepard do some very odd things, and what she said was the best explanation for it all.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooo~

They finally made it to the Council’s chambers. She smirked when she saw Saren standing at the console before them. She didn’t bother saying a word, but shot her dark energy at him and watched as it covered him. She had used that ability many times and watched her enemies die one after another. So she knew that Saren felt it and he was weakening.

He tried to talk, but she was in no mood. He was allowing the race that had killed her people to return to this space. He was responsible for the death of her lover. If it wasn’t for him, she would have been the same as she was before, but it didn’t matter. She was going to take all her pain and anguish out on his hide.

He opened his mouth to speak once more. She didn’t give him a chance. A bullet left her gun, hitting him squarely in the chest. Unfortunately it wasn’t the killing shot that she’d wanted.

She was through toying with him. She warped over to him, using her biotics to enhance her strength and pummeling him until he was a bleeding mass on the ground at her feet. She could still hear his heartbeat. She watched blood bubble from his mouth and felt nothing.

“Saran Arterius, it’s time for you to die for your crimes,” she whispered, before lifting her foot and slamming it down on top of his head. She didn’t bat an eyelash as brain matter spread out in front of her.

“Shepard, we need to get communications up,” Kaidan yelled at her. She ran up the ramp to stand beside him. He placed the disk in the slot and waited until she was finished punching in the necessary codes.

“Shepard, can you hear me?” Joker’s voice rang out.

“We hear you, Joker,” Shepard said with a grin.

“I’ve got the Alliance fleet here. We are awaiting your orders. This is your show, Shepard,” Joker told her. She could hear the smile in his voice.

She was about to give the order to attack, but stopped when she heard a distress call from the Council. She could kill them very easily right now - so easily. The temptation was there. She wanted them gone, but….

She couldn’t do it. The galaxy needed them. And that was the brutal truth.

“Joker, save the Destiny Ascension and then turn all firepower toward Sovereign,” she ordered.

Garrus turned to her and could see the conflict on her face. “Are you sure that was the right thing to do? Many humans will lose their lives,” Garrus told her.

“Yeah, I know. But this is war and the galaxy needs the Council. Sacrifice the many for the greater good,” she said with a sad smile. “If I killed the Council, who would step in? Humans would. Are we ready for that? Udina and those like him are proof that we aren’t. So no, I can’t kill them - even though I really want to…”

She turned to her team members. “Kaidan, Garrus, check Saren’s body and make sure that fucking ass is dead,” she ordered. She watched them jump down the dais and smirked when Garrus placed a bullet in the remainder of the turian’s head.

“Going after Sovereign, Shepard,” Joker told her.

“Joker, I want the Normandy at the head of that fleet,” she stated with a grin. She heard Joker’s chuckle and knew those were his exact thoughts, as well.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooo~

Shepard watched the sky light up and Sovereign die. She heard it before she saw the pieces falling toward them. “MOVE!” she yelled, shoving Garrus out of the way. She was about to run, but there wasn’t enough time. The first piece hit her, knocking her to her knees. The second piece knocked her to her back and trapped her arm. The third piece glanced off of her body and the darkness closed in…

_She stood surrounded by people she saw in the shards. Home._

_“You shouldn’t be here,” he man that she knew as her father said. She turned to him, her whole focus on him._

_“What do you mean ‘I shouldn’t be here’?” she asked with a raised brow._

_“It’s not your time. You are our voice. The Reapers are coming - prepare for them,” her father stated._

_“Prepare for them? We stopped them,” she stated with a triumphant smile. “It was your own scientists that came up with the idea.”_

_“Then you are a fool if you think they are done. They will be back,” her father snapped._

_“If they come back, I will send them back to hell where they belong,” she growled low. Her father gave a proud smile._

_“Then you must go back. You are not finished yet. You are our voice now. The voice of billions who have died before you,” he told her. “You are our Victory.”_

_“I may be our voice, but I do not lead the humans and other races. They won’t listen,” she muttered with a shake of her head. She could see confusion on their faces and wondered about it. She stayed absolutely still when her father neared. She didn’t flinched when he grabbed her, nor did she warn him away for touching her._

_The missing pieces were filled in - what the shard hadn’t shown her, her father’s memories did. He had loved her mother and bedded her not because he needed to build an empire, but because he needed her. He showed her their time together. She bowed her head, treasuring this moment - a moment of answers._

_She looked up when her father stepped away. “You have a long, hard fight ahead of you, but you must fight it. You must be our voice. You will be the Victory that we couldn’t achieve.”_

_She met her father’s eyes, and wished she had known this man before he died. She looked at the rest of the protheans as they stood proudly before her. Peace - that was what she felt while looking at these people. Now he was telling her that she had to leave to be their voice._

Her head ached and her body screamed at her, but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t give up. She couldn’t stop. With a grunt, she shoved the piece of metal off of her arm. She was thankful that it was small enough for her to manipulate. She hoped that she wouldn’t lose her arm. With a groan, her muscles protesting each movement, she rose to her feet and stumbled on.

Garrus and the rest of the team looked at the ruins under which Shepard had vanished. Their heads were bowed; they didn’t see how she could have survived the debris. Garrus walked forward slowly toward the ruins. The least he could do for his commander was find her body.

His breath stopped as Shepard climbed over Sovereign’s remains. He couldn’t believe that she was alive. The heaviness that had gripped his chest evaporated. He stared at her as she stood on top of the rubble. She looked like a hero, someone to follow to hell and back. The look of determination on her face told him that nothing would ever stop her, _ever_.

Kaidan grinned when he saw Shepard. He had a feeling that she would survive. She was too stubborn to allow that mountain of debris to kill her. He watched as Shepard made her way to them. “Anyone got a stiff drink hidden in their armor?” she asked with a grin. Relieved laughter broke out as they clapped each other on the shoulders. They were careful with Shepard’s injuries, clapping her on the back.

“So when do we take the fight to the Reapers?” she asked with a grin.

“Ha! She brings down one of them, and now she wants to go up against all of them. Figures. Only you would think something like that and the scariest part is that you would probably win,” Garrus said with a chuckle.

“You can’t seriously be thinking about going up against more Reapers,” Kaidan muttered. “I know that look, and I think I will be on shore leave for that one.”

Kaidan smirked when Shepard started chuckling and shaking her head.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

The funeral for Verani Pallin was held on the Citadel. Shepard was surprised to see so many people in attendance. Garrus stood beside her, giving her support. Dallin stood on the other side of her, his hand on her shoulder. She stood silently as people said a few words and they launched his capsule into space. It hurt to see - tears spilled from her eyes as she watched as her mate’s capsule float away. She had just lost her lover, her mate and best friend. It was a hard thing, but she had a promise to keep.

Even worse was that he knew that he wasn’t going to make it. His final act was to send her a message. She hadn’t gotten it until she was released from the hospital following the battle. To her surprise, the Council held off the funeral until she was released.

She watched as the Turian Councillor took Pallin’s possessions and walked over to her. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but all eyes were on her and Sparatus. “You were his mate and the only person close enough to call family. These belong to you now,” he murmured, passing her Pallin’s tags and a case. She placed the tags around her neck and saw the looks of approval from Sparatus, Dallin and Garrus.

“Thank you,” she whispered, bowing her head. Lightly she touched the top of the box. There was no trace of Pallin left within it.

People slowly left the memorial. She stared into space, her eyes following the path of the capsule. She glanced over her shoulder when she smelled Garrus move closer. “What do you think is in the box?” she asked quietly. She didn’t want to open it.

“Documents - probably other things,” Garrus answered with a shrug. “Are you going to be alright?”

“Yeah, I will be,” she answered with sigh. She turned to face Garrus. “Want to join me at the bar?”

“Sure, but you’re going to have a hard time doing that. The bar is closed. I’ll meet you in your office,” he countered. For the first time since the funeral started, she smiled.


	10. chapter 10

**We are finally in Mass Effect 2. Wow, that took a while. So I will be continuing posting as many chapters as I can till we reach Mass Effect 3 where the true romance starts. So please be patient with me.**

**Thank you Jen for all you did with this chapter. It wouldn’t be this good without your help.**

**My readers, reviewers and everyone else who has supported me through this story. Damn you guys are totally awesome. I can’t believe the feedback I get for this story. It amazes me with every chapter.**

**Well hope to hear from you guys with this chapter.  Let me know what you think especially with the changes I made with Shepard. I really want to hear your thoughts on it.**

Chaos and fear surrounded Shepard. The Normandy was under attack by an unknown assailant. The Normandy didn’t stand a chance against the ship. Liara and Kaidan were busy leading everyone to the escape pods, while she was tasked with retrieving Joker. Apparently her favorite pilot was being stubborn. He refused to leave the ship, either because he wouldn’t or couldn’t. She didn’t know which, but the one thing she knew was that he was leaving with her – one way or another.

“Joker, what the hell are you doing?” she yelled over the noise.

“I can save the ship,” Joker stated, with certainty in his voice. It was a certainty she didn’t feel. As far as she was concerned the ship was lost. The Council could build her a new one.  

“Yeah, you think so. I don’t. Joker, we need to get your ass out of here,” she told him, grabbing his arm firmly.

In the end she saved him, but not herself. She watched the Normandy dissolve into pieces of debris. Her home was gone once more. She should have been used to the feeling. She knew she wasn’t coming away from this alive. Her air tank was leaking. The only air left was in her helmet and that was dwindling fast.

She didn’t bother to fight with the hoses; it would be pointless. Instead she took in the destruction and allowed a slight smile to crease her mouth. She had saved almost everyone. She’d done her job.

Her body began to burn and she screamed with what air she had left. She felt herself falling as she fought to live. She couldn’t give up. It wasn’t in her nature to give up, even though she knew it would be better to die before reaching the ground. Not that she would possibly live that long.

The burning intensified and she fell faster. Her air was gone and her lungs screamed for breath. Black spots ate at her vision. She said a quiet prayer just before she died.  

_She was with her father once more. A feeling of peace settled over her as she stood surrounded by her people. To others they would look strange, but with them she felt safe and secure._

_She stood in front of her father. “Don’t tell me. I’m not supposed to be here again?” she asked with a raised brow and a mocking smile._

_“You’re here for now,” was his answer. It was a cryptic answer, but she didn’t care. “Your time is short here. You are still our voice.”_

_She didn’t believe it. She knew she’d died. Once you are dead, there is no coming back. At least that is the way it was supposed to work._

                                                                                                         ~oooooooooooooo~

Wilson looked at his messages. A gleeful smile lit his face. He had it made. The Collectors were going to pay him a lot of money for Shepard. _They should_ , he thought. When he realized that Shepard had prothean genetic markers, he never divulged the information. He deleted all traces of the fact so that no one was the wiser. Not even Miranda or the Illusive Man. He had told the Collectors of his discovery, demanding more money. They’d immediately agreed. Now he just needed to get things started. Shepard had already woken once since her resurrection and he couldn’t take the chance that she would wake again.

He moved swiftly through the halls, waiting for the perfect time to set his plans into motion.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooo~

Miranda looked over Wilson’s most recent report and nodded. Shepard’s blood work had shown her what she had already assumed. She stared at the photo of the commander. It showed a human woman with slight changes - thicker skin and yellow eyes with black pupils that reminded her of a cat. But that wasn’t all the changes she’d seen. Since Cerberus had been working on her, Shepard was developing differently. Her drell heritage was exerting itself. She now had red ribbing along her neck and hips. She also had the dense muscles associated with the species.

Miranda was surprised with the changes, but not shocked. She had expected something odd to occur, especially when trying to bring back an unknown entity from death. Shepard, by any definition, was an unknown. The Alliance had made a mistake when documenting her genetic profile, deciding that she was half-turian. That had made the first phase of their experiment extremely hard, but not impossible.

She’d been more concerned when Shepard unexpectedly woke up. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. Since that time, her brainwave readings indicated that she was still awake. Miranda wasn’t sure what to make of it. The agent’s eyes widened when the facility’s alarms began to sound…

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooo~

Shepard’s eyes snapped open, her senses on alert. The doctor had been nearby once again. She knew his plans - every time he touched her, she would see it. So her body rested while her mind planned. They said she was sleeping, but she hadn’t been; not since the first time she’d woken. Her body had adjusted quickly to the alterations they made.

She looked around the cold, sterile room. Her sight was crystal clear, better than it used to be. She sat up slowly, her muscles aching; but she couldn’t let that stop her. Her hand went to her jaw, and she felt healing scars there. Her eyes widened as she felt something else. Her teeth were different. She had four upper and lower teeth that were fangs, and the total number was much greater than it used to be. The new development made her hesitate for a brief second.

She closed her eyes and memories of her people came to her. Her father… She remembered his smile and realized that she now shared a physical similarity with him. She wondered what else had changed. She didn’t have time to investigate. She needed to get moving first, and then she would do a complete examination.

Her head snapped to the door when she heard nearby gunfire. She glanced around the room quickly for anything to help her fight. She spotted a locker and hoped there was something she could put on that was better than her hospital gear. She sighed in relief when she found armor with the N7 logo on it. A grin split her face at seeing something familiar.

She moved quickly through the room, ignoring the woman’s voice that sounded over the facility’s intercom. She still didn’t trust it.

Her relief grew when she found a gun. Now she could fight. She could find a way to escape the building and then focus on who had resurrected her.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooo~

Shepard moved from room to room. She found recordings from a woman named Miranda and she almost laughed out loud. They thought she was a drell-human hybrid. She found that very amusing, but was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t know her true heritage. She wasn’t sure how that happened, but it didn’t matter.

Along the way she encountered two humans. One was the doctor who wished her harm. She growled low in warning when she saw him. She came close to shooting him. She wanted to kill him, but Jacob, the second human, stopped her. She let Jacob take the lead and walked behind the duo. She moved up close to the doctor. “I know what you did,” she growled low and stared at him with lethal eyes. She watched his eyes widen and fear creep into them.

They were heading to the escape shuttle. Wilson was hacking the panel, his fingers fumbling as she growled. Jacob watched her oddly, his uncertainty with her easy to read even without her gifts.

Aaran stopped and grinned as she watched a woman appear from behind the locked door and put a bullet in Wilson’s head. “Sweet justice,” Aaran murmured with a smirk as she met the woman’s eyes. “He betrayed you. Gave the Collectors information about me and set the mechs to attack,” Aaran told her.

“And how do you know this?” Miranda asked with narrowed eyes. She’d just figured it out not long ago and couldn’t imagine how this woman would already know. Yet she seemed so certain.

“I have my ways,” Aaran chuckled as she walked by the woman and boarded the shuttle.  

                                                                           ~oooooooooooo~

Cerberus… the name was stuck in her head. They were an organization she hated, and she was now working for them. The one blessing was that she had Joker and a new Normandy.

She ignored Miranda’s attempts to communicate. She wanted to see what changes they’d made to her. When she spotted Joker, his reaction told her there were changes - very noticeable ones.

She stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was still long and thick, but longer than it used to be. Now it hung down to her waist. Her skin was still dark, though thicker than a human’s, and she still had the same bone structure. Her eyes held the biggest change. They were yellow, but that wasn’t the unusual part. She now had two pupils in each eye. At least the changes had stopped there. She had two eyes still, as opposed to the prothean trait of four. Her vision had always been very good, better than a normal human, but now… Now it was amazing! She could see every little detail.  She examined her face once again. Her nose and ears were still the same. Her facial features were basically the same, other than the eyes and teeth. She couldn’t believe it. She had fangs.

Her neck was completely different. She had always been _very_ sensitive there, but now it was even more so. Pallin had always tortured her by nipping that area. Now, when she really looked at her neck, it reminded her of a drell. There was red ribbed flesh along the sides that was soft to the touch. From the chin it spanned the front of her neck, narrowing as it neared the bottom of her throat. It was the same as the protheans that she’d seen.   

A stranger looked back at her in the mirror, not the woman she’d always known. She looked like her heritage - half-prothean and half-human - more so now than ever. She wondered what else had changed.

She removed her clothes and looked over her body. Her muscle structure was denser, but she was still slimly built. Everything that had been there before was still there. But there was also that red ribbing between her hips lower on her stomach. They were small patches, but she knew that it was going to make wearing hip hugging pants interesting.  She still had pert breasts and a small patch of hair covering her sex. She still had ten toes, ten fingers, two eyes. So the main changes were on her face, neck and lower belly. That she could live with, she hoped.

“Commander Shepard, Dr. Chakwas is requesting your presence in the medbay,” EDI told her. The ship’s AI had been another surprise. She planned on staying well away from it until she knew it could be trusted.

“Thank you, EDI. Tell her I’ll be down there momentarily,” Shepard stated. She could just imagine Chakwas’ shock when she saw her. The poor woman would probably have a heart attack.

Quickly she redressed and headed down to the medbay, wondering how to prepare the woman. She walked in and cleared her throat. She wondered how Chakwas would react to her new voice. Aaran was still having a hard time hearing the dual tone. It reminded her of a turian’s voice, but hers was smoother.

She watched Chakwas’ eyes widen, her breath stopping for a moment. Shepard could hear her heart race and wondered if she had been right… Was the doctor going to have a heart attack?

“Commander?” Chakwas asked hesitantly.

“Well, you’re taking this better than I thought you would. It shocked me, too,” Shepard told her.

“I need to do some scans. We’ll have to start from scratch since your physiology has changed so drastically. The results Cerberus reached regarding your drell and human hybrid status may not match what we find today,” Chakwas stated pointedly. She walked over to the doctor, taking her hand. She sifted through the information she needed and discovered that Chakwas was still keeping her secret.

She also discovered that Cerberus didn’t believe the Alliance when they stated she was turian and human. They believed that she was drell and human. If it kept her safe, she would keep up the ruse. And with the physical changes it wouldn’t be hard.  

“Sure, doctor,” Aaran answered as she took a seat on one of the bed.

She hated these tests, but they needed to be done. Scans, blood work, brainwave readings, and then more scans were taken and catalogued. “Your brainwaves have changed slightly, your blood work has changed and there’s more. I have to study those scans more and see what they mean, but there is nothing life threatening here,” Chakwas told her.

“Well when you have the answers you can have EDI page me,” Aaran told her softly before touching her on the shoulder. She sent out a silent thank you, but wasn’t sure if the older woman would even understand.

“Anytime, Shepard,” she nodded. Aaran nodded and left the room. She sighed, shaking her head, wondering what else had changed and what she would do about it.

She made her way up to the cockpit and smiled when she saw Joker. She took a seat on one of the empty chairs. “How much longer before we arrive at Omega?” she asked.

“We should be there by tomorrow,” he answered. “You know it’s really odd seeing you look like this.”

“Tell me about it. I checked myself out in the mirror and I am still not sure what to make of this new me,” Aaran grumbled.

“Wait till you meet some of the old crew. They are going to flip when they see you,” Joker stated, his eyes wide as he searched her new face. “You know it’s a lot harder to read you now.”

“Yeah, well, my looks may have changed, but I haven’t,” she tried to reassure him. When he didn’t answer right away she stood up and left him alone.

Joker turned in his seat and watched her hips sway away. Her upper half may have changed, but the lower half was still the same. He grinned as her rear disappeared from sight. He knew her essence hadn’t changed; only her physical shell. Somehow the changes suited her.  

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooooo~

Garrus looked through his sniper scope and watched the newcomers walk across the bridge. He was tired and knew his days were numbered. He was surprised to have made it this far. He had tried to follow in Shepard’s footsteps, but failed miserably. He didn’t know how she’d done it - kept everyone happy and content, made them feel worthwhile, no matter how small the job. She would snap out an order and all would jump to do it. He tried, but he didn’t have that presence that Shepard had.

He stared at the one female newcomer. He would swear that it was Shepard - would have bet his sniper rifle on it - but it wasn’t Shepard. This person was too different. She moved like Shepard, gave out commands with just a movement of her hand or a look, just like Shepard. She even smiled like Shepard, but the smile looked different somehow. This person looked like an alien, one that he had never met before. The red frills on her neck were reminiscent of a drell, but there were human qualities there as well…

A hybrid….

Shepard….

It was Shepard. It had to be…. He grinned as he sighted down his scope with more focus than ever. He quickly removed the soldiers walking before her. He watched as she looked up at him and nodded and then made a motion. With that one motion he knew that the three behind her were hers and he couldn’t touch them. He wondered if she realized that he was the man behind the mask. He hoped so. He would like to think she was coming for him, but the chances of that were unlikely.  

Aaran looked up at the window toward Archangel. No one needed to tell her that it was Garrus. She could smell him and would know him anywhere. She grinned and made a motion that she knew he would understand. She also knew that she was safe; he wouldn’t shoot her. At least not the Garrus she once knew. It had been two years and anything could change in that time. She prayed that he was still the same turian she remembered.

She moved quickly, using her biotics while he sniped their enemies from above. Just like old times. He was finally safe. Shepard was here to save his ass. He grinned as he heard her on the stairs and then in the hallway heading for him. He knew the men that were attempting to hack the door were going to be dead in a second. He didn’t hear gunshots; instead he heard a loud bag as they hit the door.

He couldn’t wipe off his grin as Shepard walked in. He held up a hand. He wanted to get this last guy before addressing her. “You know, Archangel, it’s really bad manners to take pot shots at the people sent to save you,” she said. Garrus listened to her voice and heard the amusement there.

He turned and faced her with his helmet still on his head. Without answering he took a seat on the couch and slowly took off his helmet, wondering what her reaction would be. He watched her features and relaxed as she grinned. He saw the new teeth and raised a brow ridge, but said nothing. He would question her later. He had been expecting some quip, but was surprised when Shepard’s arms wrapped around him in what humans called a ‘hug’. He had never experienced it. His race didn’t hug, but he had seen Pallin hug her often. Whenever they were near Pallin would hug her.

“Good. About fucking time something went right,” he heard her murmur into his armor. He placed his hands on her back and squeezed her as she did him. He had to admit it was actually comforting; not sexual, but comforting.

“And here I thought you came to save my ass. If its chatting you want, you’ll have to wait for a while,” Garrus joked, before it became too awkward for him.

“Aw, can’t we do both?” she grinned, stepping away from him. He noticed Pallin’s tag weren’t around her neck anymore. He watched as her hand moved to where the tags should be, sadness creeping into her eyes.

“I don’t know where they are. When I woke up, they weren’t there,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry about it,” Garrus stated, placing a hand on her shoulder. He had forgotten what she was capable of. He didn’t fight when she took his hand in hers. She would find out sooner or later and he trusted her.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get your revenge,” she stated coldly, her eyes turning hard. “That I promise.”

“Thanks, Shepard,” he murmured before taking his hand away. Spirits he had missed her. He knew everything was going to be alright now. Her looks might have changed, but she was still the same Shepard he knew.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

She didn’t want to leave the ship, not with Garrus’ life hanging in the balance. But she had no choice. She needed these people to deal with the Collectors and couldn’t stop just because one of her crew was injured. That was the way life went; it didn’t stop even if you wanted it to.

She left the Normandy with Zaeed and Jacob. She had to smirk as Zaeed watched her closely. “Zaeed, just spit it out,” she muttered as they made their way through Afterlife.

“What race are you?” he asked gruffly.

“Human and drell, as my file says,” she answered with a smirk.

“And I don’t believe it,” he stated with certainty.

“When I trust you, then you’ll find out more. Not until then,” she stated coldly. She picked up the pace, putting space between the mercenary and herself. She heard him ask Jacob, but the Cerberus agent wasn’t forthcoming with any information.

She moved in front of Aria, her eyes narrowing when the asari’s henchman came close to try for another scan. “Try it, I dare you,” she hissed, her lips curled back in a snarl, showing her fangs. She smirked when she smelled his fear.

“What do you want, Shepard?” Aria asked coldly.

“Mordin - where is he?” she asked, her voice chillingly calm.

“If I answer your question will you answer mine?” she asked with a sly smile.

“Depends,” Shepard answered cautiously.

“You’re obviously part human. What is your other half? Rumor has it that it’s turian, but I don’t think so,” Aria murmured, her eyes searching over the commander. Shepard watched as rose to her feet, her eyes narrowing in warning. Shepard saw her muscles tensed and knew what the asari was planning. She caught the woman’s arm, holding her firmly; bruising the perfect blue skin.

“Remember, Aria, you gave me permission by touching me,” Shepard whispered with a grim smile. She delved into the Asari’s mind, seeing her life… What she had done, who she was and how she captured Omega under her control. She allowed Aria to see what she saw. She could smell the asari’s fear, taste it like a rich wine. “Let’s see how advanced your mind is, Aria. If you survive this, you’ll have your answer; but if you betray me, you already know what I am capable of,” she murmured, her mouth a breath away from the asari’s. Shepard shared the information as if the Aria was another prothean. She gave her the knowledge of her abilities, her race and the knowledge of what she was willing to do to protect herself. She did this for a reason. The asari was a very powerful woman and would be a good ally if she was ever needed.

“I understand, Shepard. You’ll have no problems from me,” Aria murmured. 

Aaran backed off after a moment with a smirk. She stepped back and nodded to Aria.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooo~

 

She headed straight back to the Normandy, her mind clear of the troubling thoughts of how much she had changed. She didn’t go to her room right away. Instead she stopped by the medbay to find Garrus gone. Her eyes narrowed as she went back out in the mess hall. He wasn’t there, either.

Instead of searching the whole ship she went to her room and stopped dead when she entered. Garrus sat on the couch, a bandage on one side of his face. “Damn. I didn’t expect you to be out of the medbay already,” she murmured with a grin. “It’s good to see you up and around.”

Garrus leaned back, really examining her new looks. Her eyes were different, but the shape was still the same. Her facial features were the same - mouth, nose, brow, chin - and her skin was the same as it was when the last of her prothean genes woke. He noticed for the first time that her skin wasn’t as thin as a human’s, but it wasn’t so profound that it looked odd. He smirked. He liked her looks more now than he had before.

“So what trouble have you gotten yourself into this time? Last I heard you’d died,” he stated with a grin to lighten his words.

“Oh, trust me, I was dead. It seems that Cerberus wanted me back. They resurrected me, you could say,” she told him as she took a seat next to him.

“So how deep are we in this time?” he asked with a quirk of his brow ridge.

“Very deep. The Collectors have developed a fascination for humans. I don’t know the exact number of their victims, but entire colonies have gone missing. I plan on stopping them by going through the Omega IV relay,” she told him.

“I told you once and I will tell you again. I’ll follow through hell and back, but I never actually thought you would take me to hell. Don’t worry, Shepard, I have you back,” he told her with a grin.

“Thanks, Garrus. I need someone I trust watching my back,” she sighed and leaned back on the couch with a smile. Now she had no worries. Garrus was here and he always had her back.

Garrus leaned back, still looking at Shepard and taking in all the changes. “Other than outer appearances what has changed?” he asked.

“My sense of smell is a lot better, as is my eyesight. Chakwas said that my nose may look human, but internally my ears and nose have changed,” she told him. “Do these changes bother you that much?” She tried to hide her concern, but didn’t think she pulled it off. Her eyes widened as Garrus took her hand, meeting her eyes with great certainty. Once again he allowed her to read him without flinching. Others would have flinched or looked at her with fear, but now he showed her that he trusted her.

She smiled as she read him. He wasn’t repulsed by her looks, but fascinated by them. She didn’t want to take in his scent just in case she smelled more than she wanted to know.  

“Do you know where Sidonis is?” she asked, giving him a curious look.

“No, but I am not going to stop searching for him. He needs to answer for his crimes,” he growled.

“You don’t need to persuade me. And, Garrus… don’t hesitate when you have him lined up. He doesn’t deserve it,” she stated coldly.

Garrus hesitated and smiled. This was the Shepard he remembered. She couldn’t stand people that betrayed her. That was where he learned to take his revenge. She had taught him that. At first he hadn’t understood. He had done it to make himself feel better, but she had given him another way to look at his actions. When they hunted the doctor, the one that slipped away, she told him he needed to die for those that he had defiled. She was the one who said he deserved nothing less, because he would never stop. He would have to _be_ stopped.

They sat with each other for a long time, enjoying the silence. They didn’t need to talk. Everything had been said. He was where he wanted to be. Shepard would lead and take them where no one had ever been. He knew they would come out alive. It was Shepard’s way.


	11. chapter 11

She sat in the mess hall with her team. She had to admit that they were impressive. So far she’d recruited a krogan, a biotic who had been experimented on by Cerberus, a mercenary, and two Cerberus operatives. Then there was Garrus. Each one was good in their particular specialty. Jacob was excellent at fighting, though she didn’t trust him very much. Jack was a very strong biotic, but had a major attitude problem. Grunt was still learning. He had been tank bred, so that made him young. She wondered quite a few times if krogans went through puberty.

Then there was Miranda. She still didn’t know what to make of that woman. She was so dedicated to Cerberus. Mordin, her salarian scientist, was a riot. She found him amusing for some odd reason. He got on most people’s nerves, but not hers. She couldn’t quite trust him, however. Her worse fear was that he would discover her prothean lineage and want to do lots of tests on her.

Her mind turned to her last team mate, Garrus. He was her sanity. He was the only one on the ship that knew all her secrets. He understood her most of the time. She shook her head. On their last shore leave he had to help her back to the Normandy. She’d had a few too many drinks. It still bothered her that she didn’t have Pallin’s tags. She felt naked without them. She knew turian tradition demanded that she wear them until she found a suitable mate, but she no longer had them.  

Her gaze turned to Jack. She was the only one other than Mordin that Shepard hadn’t read. The woman wouldn’t let anyone that close. Everyone else she had read, but she actually didn’t need to bother. Zaeed was the only one with a real secret. He had a twenty year debt to pay. And she would help him.

“Where are we heading next?” Jacob asked.

“Horizon. The Illusive Man ordered us there. It seems the collectors are going to try and take it. Oh and Garrus, he took great pleasure in telling me that Kaidan might be there,” Shepard murmured with a smirk. She hoped Kaidan would be there; then there would be another person she trusted watching her back.

“Can’t wait to see Kaidan again,” Garrus answered and then turned back to his conversation with Jacob. 

She sat back in her chair listening to them talk. Garrus and Jacob were talking about weapons. Jack and Zaeed were trading war stories. Mordin was looking over his datapad, muttering to himself. Miranda was silent, as was Grunt. It was unusual having a new team, but even with their differences they seemed to get along.     

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooo~

She stared at the collectors not believing her eyes. They looked so much like her people, but there were large differences. These creatures were only shells. She felt pain in her chest at seeing this; fury at the Reapers running strongly through her.

There was only one thing that could be done. The collectors needed to be wiped out. She couldn’t leave her people to this fate.

“Shepard?” Garrus called quietly, trying to turn her focus back to the coming fight.

“I’m fine, but every collector we see needs to die,” Shepard stated coldly.

Garrus hesitated. He hadn’t seen that look on her face since the moment before she killed Saren. There was determination mixed with rage; and a good deal of pain. It wasn’t a look he wanted to see, especially on her face. The last time she had that look she had literally smashed Saren’s face in with the heel of her foot. He knew the discomfort dealt to the Collectors would be worse.

Garrus stiffened as Shepard took a step forward, her hands clenched by her side. He stopped Mordin as he also stepped forward. “No, stay back. It’s safer,” Garrus warned the salarian.

Mordin looked at him curiously, not sure of the meaning behind his words. His eyes widened as he watched Shepard brutally take out the first collector. When she moved to the next one he decided to open fire to make things a little quicker. He didn’t want to see another collector’s internal organs unless it was in a lab under a microscope.

Aaran knelt down to the nearest Collector body. She needed information. They looked so much like the protheans. Her mind screamed at her not to do it, but she ignored the warnings. She had to know… they had been her people.

At first the images were blurry and chaotic, but there were markers that showed her the origin of the attackers. Markers that couldn’t be wiped out on their genes.

_Tubes, needles, pain, the body molded, changing…_

_Foreign objects placed into the system._

These weren’t protheans. They weren’t her people…. Sadness and relief filled her that these weren’t protheans, but something else made by the reapers. She had felt the reapers’ touch on them and knew the horrors they had undergone.

She shook her head. No! These were Protheans. They had to be! Their looks were too similar. She grabbed the closest body. She delved past the horrors, needing to see more.

_Faintly she saw what she was looking for…._

_There were noises outside, and they knew the reapers had found them. The door burst open and it was one of their own. Relief filled them and then faded when they looked into dead eyes…_

Aaran snatched her hand away. She glared at the shaking appendage. They had been her people. She had the answer she needed now and wished that she didn’t.

“Shepard, what’s going on?” Garrus asked worriedly and watched as Mordin took readings of the commander. He had to shake his head at the salarian. He wasn’t sure if his actions were brave or stupid.

“I had to know if these were once protheans. They were,” Aaran said softly.

“Damn, Shep….” Garrus murmured helplessly, unsure how to give comfort to his friend.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran sighed as they cleared yet another area filled with collectors. They had come across a few frozen colonists, but not enough to fill the settlement. She knew they had already been placed on the ship that loomed above them.

“Are we ready to finish this?” Aaran asked, her determination coming back to her. She needed to see her people put to rest. She needed to do this.

Garrus stopped and looked at her in surprise. He had thought for sure that this mission would have been too much for her. Not that he blamed her. “Anytime you are, Shepard,” he answered with a grin. He should have known that she would work through her pain and shock.

Shepard glanced at Garrus and smiled. She knew he would understand her turmoil. It lightened her mood knowing that Garrus would be there and had her back. She turned her attention to the salarian. He wasn’t paying attention to them. His focus was on his omnitool. She watched him take readings of the bodies and nod his head.  

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard stared at the man she thought she had known. Kaidan stared at her, his gaze filled with betrayal and hatred. She never thought she would see that look on his face.

She reached out and touched his arm. He didn’t stop her and she had to know. Anger and betrayal poured from him. Beneath all of that there was hate, though whether for Cerberus or her she didn’t know. His emotions were too conflicted.

“You’re a traitor. You turned your back on the Alliance,” Kaidan spat belligerently.

“Betraying the Alliance? I am trying to save humans,” Aaran explained. Garrus felt anger eating at him toward Kaidan. He couldn’t believe Kaidan would do this, especially to her.

“By joining Cerberus?” Kaidan scoffed. The woman he looked up to had turned to the enemy. He couldn’t believe that she of all people would do something like that, but she had admitted to it.

Garrus had had enough and spoke his mind. It was a relief when Kaidan finally walked away, but he could see the pain in Aaran’s face and knew she wouldn’t recover anytime soon.

Aaran watched him walk away, her own anger matching that of her former friend. A traitor - that was what he thought of her. She couldn’t believe it and hated him for it.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Garrus went straight to Shepard’s room when they returned to the ship, knowing she would be heading there as soon as she could. He knew even though she would never admit to it, she needed someone to talk to.

The thought of taking her as his mate crossed his mind; not for the first time. Since he’d gotten to actually know her the thought had been crossing his mind more and more; especially since she’d found him on Omega.

He watched as she walked in, anger still riding her. He could see the hurt in her eyes.

Aaran glanced at the couch when Garrus’ scent came to her. “Garrus, what are you doing here?” she asked softly. She wasn’t sure if she should be annoyed or relieved. She considered him her best friend.

“Came to see how you’re doing,” he murmured, watching her expression closely.

“First I find out that the reapers look exactly like the protheans. Then I find out that a friend turned his back on me and considers me a traitor. My day’s good. How’s yours?” she asked, her voice thick with sarcasm.

“Oh, it’s great. Let’s see. I got to shoot lots of things and I almost got to kill an annoying human,” he grinned and watched as her lips twitched.

Aaran smirked as she moved over to Garrus. She took a seat on the couch next to him. “You had that much fun, eh?” she muttered with an amused shake of her head. “Do you really think Kaidan will come to his senses?”

“No. He’s dedicated to the Alliance. He can’t see past that. Though I bet if you ever go back to the Alliance, he’ll forgive you,” Garrus grumbled, anger contorting his features.

“Probably,” she muttered tiredly. She didn’t want to think about it anymore. It was a stress that could be set aside for another time. She leaned her head against Garrus’ shoulder. He reminded her so much of Pallin.

They sat there for a while before she got up and headed to bed. Garrus left not long after.

~oooooooooooooo~

_She was back on Eden Prime but this time it was different. There wasn’t the fear or chaos. Instead the commander stood not far from her._

_She watched him for a moment and decided not to intrude on his silence. She started to move away when a hand stopped her. She stared up into four sets of eyes that were so much like her own._

_“Who are you?” she asked, not expecting an answer. She was certain that this was just another beacon dream._

_“I’m the commander,” he answered as he walked her backward. She gasped as her back hit a wall. She took in a shuddering breath and his scent came to her, enticing and exotic; clouding her mind and making her purr in pleasure._

_“What do you want?” she asked hoarsely._

_“You, mate,” he growled and she wasn’t damp as she had been with Pallin. No, she was wet. He hadn’t done anything, but his scent and the demand in his voice did things to her._

_She opened her mouth to tell him to back off so she could think, but that wasn’t what happened. Instead his tongue filled her mouth, his taste clouding her mind and making her body throb. He tasted of rich wine, bitter yet sweet, and she couldn’t get enough of it._

_She moaned as his body pressed firmly against hers. She couldn’t feel him, but having him that near brought her pleasure. She met his eyes as she heard the snaps of latches and his thick hide was finally revealed to her._

_She was in a haze as his hands travelled over her body. His scent surrounded her, calling to her on a primitive level. She knew she was giving off a scent of her own. She cried out when he hoisted her up so that they were eye level. She did the only thing that she could think of – wrapping her legs around his waist._

_She knew this was a dream now, not a memory; but she reveled in it and didn’t want it to stop. This was pleasure she hadn’t felt in so long, if ever. She needed this, wanted it._

_They both growled when he entered her roughly. She automatically licked the frills along his neck before biting down on the curve of his neck. She nearly yelled in pleasure when he did the same. He held her tightly as they lost themselves in each other. It wasn’t a buildup and then an orgasm. It was one orgasm after the other. There was barely time between them._  

_She felt him swell within her, filling her more, locking with her. “Mine,” he growled against her skin before finding his own release._

Aaran woke trembling as she glanced wildly around the room. She didn’t know what the hell had caused such a dream. Sure she had seen the commander in many visions and thought him good looking, but to have a dream of that sort made no sense to her. The commander was long dead, so it confused her.

Even worse and more confusing was that she’d had the best sex ever in a dream and knew she would never experience anything like it again. It was depressing to think about.

Garrus walked up to Shepard’s room, hoping that she was awake. Even if she wasn’t he knew she wouldn’t care. He needed to retrieve the visor that he had taken off while they were relaxing the night before.

He punched in a code and stepped inside. Shepard was panting on her bed. At first he thought it was a nightmare, but her reactions told him something different. His eyes widened and an awkwardness came over him when he realized that was happening.

He stopped dead when she called out ‘Commander’, and then sat up, panting. Her skin was damp, her hair mussed, and the frills at her throat were engorged and vibrating.

With a shaky sigh Shepard glanced around her room when she felt a presence. Her eyes widened when she saw Garrus standing there, stunned. Embarrassment flowed over her and she couldn’t meet his eyes.

Garrus smirked when he saw her reaction. “So, who is the commander?” he asked with a grin and a chuckle as her skin reddened more.

Aaran shook her head with a self-condemning smile. “The commander is a prothean who lived on Eden Prime about fifty thousand years ago. I usually see him when I have flashbacks or at the prothean beacons that we find. This time was different and I don’t know why,” she explained and stared intently at Garrus, waiting for his reaction.

“Well you better hope you don’t get _that_ flashback during a mission. It could make things a little too interesting,” Garrus joked, trying to relieve some of the tension in the room.

“It would give Wrex some good fodder for the next few years. I don’t think he would agree with you,” Shepard murmured with a grin and the tension left the room. “So why are you up here?”

“Was collecting my visor,” Garrus told her as he grabbed the object off of her coffee table. He glanced at her and chuckled when she blushed once more. He decided to leave and let her get ready for the morning.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard headed to CIC, her thoughts still occupied with that dream. It wasn’t something she expected nor did she know what it actually meant or why she would have it. None of it made sense, but she didn’t regret the dream at all.

“Ahh, Shepard. Need a moment of your time,” Mordin said as he stepped out of his office.

“What is it?” Aaran asked.

“Know mission is dangerous. Different species react differently to stress,” Mordin began.

“Is there a problem on the ship?” Aaran asked worriedly.

“No, but know that many species relieve stress differently. Would like your permission to hand out information to all people on the ship,” Mordin stated.

“Information about what?” Aaran asked. She was pretty sure where this was going and didn’t know how to react. Especially this soon after the dream.

“Interspecies relations. Some could be dangerous without the proper knowledge. Would be better if the crew knew dangers just in case,” Mordin said with a slight smirk.

“Fine, do it,” Aaran muttered. She couldn’t believe she was agreeing to this at all. The crew’s safety was paramount, though. The last thing they needed was someone being rushed to the med bay because they couldn’t handle sex with one of the aliens.

“Is that all?” she asked, inching toward the door.

“No, need samples from you. Not much known about drell – human hybrids,” Mordin stated.

“Not happening,” Shepard bit out before walking away.

Mordin sniffed the air. His nose wrinkled and his eyes widened. He went to his computer and looked up some data, his eyes narrowing at what he found. “Not drell-human hybrid. Shepard hybrid of something else,” Mordin murmured to himself.

With a shake of his head he turned his focus to the task at hand. He sent out information dockets to all people on the Normandy. He didn’t bother splitting them up between male and female, deciding to keep all information together.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard walked into the mess hall, her eyes widening as she heard a few omnitools pinging; notifying he crew of new messages. Her omnitool pinged and she glanced over the information quickly. She had to admit that the salarian worked fast. She was amused as she watched their eyes widen, blushes spreading across the human’s faces and the aliens shifting uncomfortably.

Her discomfort was quickly forgotten and a smile broke out on her face. At least now she was wasn’t the only one with something interesting to ponder…


	12. Chapter 12

Collecting the Justicar has been a pain in the ass; particularly when the asari flared her biotics to give Shepard an oath of service. Aaran wasn’t sure why it had been such a problem, but her skin had crawled and she’d had to hold back a warning growl.

What irked her more was the way people reacted to her looks. She knew that she was now different and that people would stare, but that didn’t make the glances any easier to accept.

Against her better judgement she had used Garrus and the justicar to retrieve the assassin from the Illusive Man’s dossier.

She wasn’t sure which mission was worse - the assassin’s or the justicar’s. Every inch of the tower she invaded to find the assassin smelled of death. It had caused her focus to shift a few times. She had smelled death many times, but not on a living person. It burned her nose and eyes. Some of her thoughts had made her cringe - _weak, easy prey_ \- things like that.

She was still getting used to her body and thoughts. Sometimes she would surprise herself and a new sound would come emerge; expressing emotions that she usually kept hidden. Chirps and other unique sounds had been added to the growls and purrs that she was used to hearing. So hiding her emotions was a lot harder than ever before.

The smell of death was wreaking havoc on her. A few times she thought about putting the person that wore that scent out of their misery, but she could never find them. She prayed that it wasn’t the assassin, though she had highly doubted that it was him.

They finally reached their target. She had been in awe of how easily he killed Nassana and her guards. Then his scent came to her, spicy and strong; but below it all there was death. She hadn’t needed to hear from his mouth that he was dying. She knew. It covered him like a shroud.

Then came the really odd part - when she shook his hand she could read him. That in itself wasn’t unusual, but the ease at which she did it was. There was no fight, only calmness. Deep within him she could see a flicker and she knew. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was sure that sometime in the future drells would be able to read others with a touch.  

Thane glanced at the commander as they were exiting the tower. He had heard the stories that she was half-turian, but he was sure that information was incorrect. He was positive that she was half-drell, instead. It made more sense since it was far easier for a drell and human to procreate than for a turian and human to do the same.

He could hear the high pitched whistle that showed her distress about something. He was surprised that she would give herself away that easily. He looked at her eyes once more. They were the colors of a morning sunrise; her pupils contracted into slits.

He took notice of small irregularities in her body. When she snarled it showed teeth that were neither drell nor human. She had upper and lower dual fangs, with the rest of her teeth looking normal; though there were many more than there should be. He had a hard time figuring out her true origins and that irked him. In his line of work he needed to know these things. Not that he would ever go against the commander, but the lack of knowledge didn’t sit well with him. He’d been trained to learn all about those he met since he was a child.   

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooooo~

Once more she sat in the med bay, hooked up to monitors. Garrus had told Chakwas what happened and she wanted to do another scan. She knew Garrus was only looking out for her, but she wasn’t impressed. Her eyes snapped to the door. She didn’t need to be told who it was. Krios had arrived, just as she ordered him to do when they’d reached the ship.

“I’ll give you an exam after I am finished with the commander,” Chakwas stated, worry flashing in her eyes.

“Don’t worry about it, Doctor. Do him now. I’m going to be hooked up to this for a while yet,” she muttered.

“Are you sure? He might find out…” Chakwas murmured and hesitated before finishing the sentence.

“That I am a hybrid? Or that my father was prothean?” Shepard asked, looking the drell straight in the eyes as she did so. She didn’t need to see Dr. Chakwas’ facial expression. But Krios’ expression showed disbelief. He thought she was lying. She didn’t care.

“He knows?” Chakwas asked with a shocked note to her voice. She smirked. Even Chakwas’ words hadn’t changed his mind. 

“He could have if he wished to. When I read him, he could have taken any information from my mind that he wished. He’s the first species that I’ve come across that might have been able to do it with ease,” Shepard answered. She could see the ability in him, but it was asleep. His species wasn’t advanced enough for it yet.

She watched as Chakwas did her scan. The scent of death still bothered her, but not as it had on Illium. After seeing him on a base level, she understood him better. She wasn’t surprised when Chakwas gave him the diagnosis that he only had about a year to live. “No, he has longer than that,” Shepard stated with certainty.

She smirked when Dr. Chakwas looked at her in shock. She could see the question in her eyes and ignored it. She turned her focus to Krios and saw curiosity in his eyes. She wished that she understood what had happened and exactly how she knew that information. It wasn’t the same as her normal readings. It was as though she was looking at his genes. She knew everything in that aspect about him. It was like she had seen a marker that told her everything. Even for her it was very odd, and she knew it was going to be something else that she would have to get used to.

“Commander, I am going to send this over to Professor Solis and see what he can make of it,” Chakwas warned her.

“Does he know?” Shepard asked coldly. She hadn’t given the doctor permission to share her information.

“No, but he will be looking at your other scans,” Chakwas told her firmly. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the doctor.

“Where’s John? He’d know,” Shepard reminded her.

“We are with Cerberus now. I don’t think we should involve John,” Chakwas stated with a sigh. Shepard heard the frustration and weariness in her voice. Slowly she nodded, hoping this didn’t come back and bite her on the ass. She still wasn’t sure if she could trust the scientist. She was worried that he would try and do experiments on her if he knew her true lineage.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooooo~

She walked into her room and wasn’t shocked to see Garrus there waiting. She’d expected it.

“What happened with Krios?” Garrus asked.

“To be honest, my instincts kicked in. I could smell the sickness on him, but when I touched him I could see it. See where it affected his body. I saw his past and what he’s done, but it was easier with him. I know in time, his race could do something similar to what I can,” she murmured.

“How is he taking it?” Garrus asked with an amused grin. He should have guessed that Shepard still had new things to share with him.

“Actually, I told him that I’m part prothean and he doesn’t believe me,” she answered.

“Can you blame him? The protheans have been dead for over fifty thousand years,” he shrugged.

“Now the doctor wants to have Mordin look at my scans,” she muttered, showing her friend the fear in her eyes. She wondered if Garrus would even realize what emotion was showing in her eyes. She had changed so much.

“Shepard, Mordin is helping us to come up with ways to defeat the collectors. He’s the best at what he does. You should trust him,” Garrus murmured. “If Chakwas doesn’t have the answers, there is a good chance that Mordin will.”

“Yeah I know. I just don’t want to become a test subject so that he can learn more about protheans. It was bad enough dealing with Liara’s questions,” she grumbled with a scowl.

“How did she find out about it?” Garrus asked.

“She got the information when I read her. It took her a while to figure it out, but when she did the questions started,” she sighed and leaned her head back against the couch.

“So what are you going to do?” Garrus asked.

“Allow him his questions and tests, but I am not going to tell him what I am,” she answered.

“Have you read him yet?” Garrus asked with a raised brow ridge.

“No. He, Samara and Jack are the only ones I haven’t read,” she explained. “When I know him better, I’ll read him.”

“Hopefully you’ll get some answers,” Garrus murmured. He leaned back next to Shepard and allowed silence to fill the air. He had to smile. Most of the crew thought they were involved. He knew Shepard had been asked about it, but he never knew what she answered. He glanced at her, taking in her new looks. Though it was still odd for him, he could see the woman she’d always been. 

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard stood in Mordin’s office with a scowl on her face. She didn’t say a word as the scientist muttered to himself. She didn’t want to be here. She had missions to do. But Chakwas had been adamant and Mordin had requested her presence earlier in the day. It had taken a few days since talking to Chakwas for Mordin to call her.

“Ah, good, Shepard, you showed. Been looking over your scans. Very interesting,” Mordin commented. “Brain scans very advanced for any races. Blood work odd. Never seen before. Body chemistry unusual, too. Have makings of human, but your hybrid genes changed them. Same organs as humans and other aliens, which isn’t surprising; but yours are more adaptable, similar to humans. Will have to do more tests and learn new physiology in case you get injured. Need to find out what blood is compatible with yours. At first thought human blood would do it, but now not sure,” Mordin prattled on.

“Anything else I need to know, Professor?” Shepard asked.

“Yes. Would be easier if I know what your other species is,” Mordin said, looking at her expectantly.

“No. Not until I know you will not  start treating me as some science experiment,” she growled.

“Would guess father was drell, but that make no sense. Medical file says drell, but know that is incorrect,” Mordin muttered to himself. “Krogan - highly doubtful. Human wouldn’t be able to survive mating. Salarian...” he trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he watched her intently. “No, can’t be salarian. That leaves only batarians, asari, and turian. None of those match the scans.”

Aaran watched him intently, a smirk growing at is tenacity. She raised a brow, waiting to see if he could come up with the other races. She watched as he shook his head, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Give up yet?” she asked.

“No, never give up. Get no results when one gives up. Have to try a different route. Will get answers,” Mordin answered with a determined look.

“I highly doubt you’ll figure it out, Mordin,” Aaran told him as she walked toward the door.

“Will figure it out, don’t worry. Other race advanced, so know it’s not any of the lesser races. Must be one of the dominate races,” he murmured to himself. She stood at the door, listening to his reasons for why certain races didn’t fit the profile. She had to admit that he had a quick mind and was worried that he would probably figure it out. She hoped that if he did, she wouldn’t become a project for him. It was the last thing she needed.

“Humans able to mate with many species, but not able to be impregnated…” he said before trailing off once more. She glanced over her shoulder to see him watching her intently. “No known species that fit your tests able to impregnate your mother. Who is your father?” he asked bluntly.

“Mordin, I told you once. I will not give that answer until I know you will not use me as a test subject,” she snapped coldly.

“Able to read person by touch, have seen you do it,” he commented and held out his hand. She stared at the outstretched hand in shock, surprised that he was willing to do it. She walked slowly over to him, hesitant to touch him.

“You do realize that nothing in your past will be a secret from me? I am still learning how to control this part of me so that I don’t see everything, but haven’t had much success,” she warned him.

“You need trust. I trust you. You helped me with Maelon,” Mordin stated. Shepard nodded her head slowly and took the salarian’s hand gently; instead of her normally forceful way. The first time she had done this Mordin had slipped from her grasp; breaking the link. All she had seen was that he was a scientist first and a feeling being last.

This time she saw so much more. She met his eyes and watched many emotions pass across them. She could feel his remorse about the genophage, his remorse for killing Maelon and not saving the data on the genophage. She felt his curiosity and desire to learn about her, but he respected her at the same time. He wanted to help her. Shepard let his hand go and took a step back from Mordin. She knew if she said what she was right now, EDI would hear. Then everyone would know, including Cerberus. She still didn’t understand how they didn’t know, but Miranda still assumed that she was half-drell.

Then she had remembered that she told Thane in Dr. Chakwas’ office that she was prothean, so Cerberus would obviously know. That scared her. “EDI, how long ago did you inform Cerberus of my origins?” she asked cautiously.

“I haven’t. The data you gave Mr. Krios has been deleted,” she answered.

“Why?” Shepard asked, her mouth open wide.

“That information is too dangerous for Cerberus to have,” she replied.

“How do you figure that?” Shepard asked in disbelief.

“Mr. Moreau stated that the Alliance had kept it a secret to protect you. Considering you are the commander of this ship and you are needed to finish this mission, giving Cerberus access to this information would be detrimental to this mission. They would take you and experiment on you or clone you. Having a clone of your caliber is too dangerous if it is not controlled. Your mind is too strong to be controlled. This is why Cerberus must not find out. All material relating to your other half has been deleted,” she explained.

“Thank you, EDI. That will be all. You’ll have another file to delete in a few moments,” Shepard told her.

“Not possible. Professor Solis has taken steps so that I cannot record anything in his office without his expressed permission. He has disabled all bugs that Cerberus placed within his office. What is said there will never be known,” the AI informed Shepard.

Aaran turned to Mordin, her head hung low. “I’m prothean, Mordin,” she told him, waiting for the scanners to come out and requests for blood work. All her declaration received was silence. She met the salarian’s eyes and saw astonishment. Then it changed into a slight smile.

“Thank you for trusting me. Know now why so hesitant. Drell–human hybrid very rare,” he murmured with a wink. She threw her head back and laughed. For the first time since waking, relief swept through her. “Still need to do blood work, since hybrid. Need to know what medical aid to provide when injured. Physiology changed a lot since resurrection, may change how to treat injuries.”

 She didn’t care, not now. She knew he wouldn’t treat her like a lab rat. She gave a brief nod before heading to the door. “Mordin, thanks,” she murmured.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Aaran collapsed back onto her bed, exhausted. She hadn’t even bothered eating. It wasn’t the best move, but she was too tired to care. Every crew member had recently asked something of her. Jacob had received a message about his long-missing father so she’d helped him put his ghosts to rest. Miranda needed help with her sister, but withheld vital information about the girl. If the woman had told her the truth from the beginning then maybe she wouldn’t be so pissed off at her. Jack wanted to blow up the Cerberus facility where she’d been raised. So they blew the building sky high.

Grunt needed help with a krogan rite of passage, and she didn’t mind that mission in the least. It meant she was able to see Wrex’s home world. She had always regretted killing him.  When they’d left, however, she’d found out some information that she didn’t want to know. As she sat down to eat, EDI announced that she had received six mating requests from various krogan warriors. Naturally, her entire team had been there to hear that announcement.  She’d closed her eyes and groaned. She wasn’t surprised when Grunt slapped her on the back in congratulations or to hear the innuendos that flew around. She didn’t mind the ribbing or teasing.

Miranda and Jack had finally come to blows, as well. Shepard had stormed into the room, pinning both women against the wall with her own biotics. She had growled at them before Garrus pulled her out of the room. Her instincts had taken control and she was glad that Garrus had stopped her from killing them both. Afterward both combatants had behaved as though the altercation had never taken place. She had thought for sure that she would lose their respect, but she hadn’t. She didn’t even know what she said to them. She’d just lost it.

She had helped Garrus and Thane with their problems, as well as Samara. Each one had come to her asking for help. Her gaze went to Thane. He had helped her a lot since joining the team. He had been teaching her how to meditate, and that helped more than she could say. Garrus was her stone when things became too much for her. He seemed to be there every time she needed him. Then there was Kasumi, who was able to make her laugh. That thief was almost as sneaky as the assassin. She couldn’t count the number of times that she’d caught Kasumi walking around with her cloak on. Kasumi’s mission had been interesting on multiple fronts. It had been a while since she had worn a dress.

Tali’s was the most heart wrenching one. Her father was dead and her people turned against her. Shepard had helped her out as much as she could and took great pleasure in snapping at her people; making them feel inferior.

Then there was Zaeed mission - one that she would never forget. Vengeance was his ultimate goal. She’d allowed him to complete the mission on his terms. After waiting twenty years he more than deserved it.

Yet through it all Thane and Garrus had been there to help her. Garrus was her best friend, but she wasn’t sure where to place Thane in her life. He was close to a best friend, but how close she couldn’t say. She knew that she trusted him without reservation and that was enough.

Now they were going after the IFF needed to enter the Omega IV relay and she wasn’t sure if they were ready. Garrus, Zaeed and Jacob had reassured her that the ship and crew were ready. She had upgraded everything she could. She had done all the missions required of her. Project Overlord had been the most disturbing. She still couldn’t believe someone could do that to a family member. She almost shot him. She’d been so tempted, but in the end she’d decided against it.

She had two days to relax before they made it to the IFF. She was about to drift off when the doors to her room opened. “If you don’t have a good reason for being here, I will shoot you,” she growled, keeping her eyes closed. A new aroma came to her. Hesitantly she scented the air and could smell coffee and food. She also smelled Thane and Garrus. Slowly she opened her eyes to regard the two men.

“Does coffee count as a good reason?” Garrus asked as he sauntered in the room. She had to chuckle as she sat up tiredly.

“You need to eat, Siha,” Thane murmured.

“You know, if you don’t tell me what that means I am going to read you again,” Shepard muttered with a glare at the drell.

She saw alarm in his eyes for a moment before they returned to their usual calm. “I’ll tell you sometime,” he murmured, making sure he was a few steps from her.

“Are the two of you ready to retrieve the IFF?” she asked tiredly. All she wanted to do was sleep, but now she was keeping these two aliens company. As far as she was concerned, they had until she was finished eating. Then she was falling asleep on them whether they liked it or not.

“We’ve been ready since you informed us that it would be our asses getting the IFF while you stay behind in the lounge getting drunk,” Garrus chuckled. “Sorry to tell you this, Aaran, but you’re coming with us.”

“Figured as much. Had to try,” she muttered with a grin.

“How come you’re so tired?” Garrus asked.

Aaran kept silent for a moment, her head bowed. “Keep seeing my father. Everything prothean was destroyed on the Normandy. I have nothing left of him,” she whispered. “Then there is the beacon on Eden Prime. I still have dreams of it. Finally there are the dreams about the commander,” she muttered, giving Garrus a pointed look.  

Garrus sighed, taking a seat beside her on the bed. “Do you remember the pieces you gave to me for safekeeping? There were those shards and the two disks, plus that knife that you wouldn’t touch. I still have them. They are in the Main Battery right now,” Garrus told her. He remembered when she had yelled at him to get them out of her room. They had caused many sleepless nights for her. When he left the Normandy he had taken them with him. When he went to Omega he had brought them with him. He couldn’t leave them behind. It was all he had left of her - a woman he admired. He wondered if Shepard realized when she went back to collect his stuff that she had picked up the prothean artifacts, as well.  

She finished her plate and sighed. She allowed her eyes to drift shut, listening to her companions breathe. Thane’s was labored, worse than it had been when he’d joined the crew. Then there was Garrus. His breathing she knew well and it was soothing to her.

She relaxed more knowing that she still had her father’s things.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooo~

Shepard woke hours later and grinned. The things she had been wanting were now on her coffee table. Slowly she made her way over to them, lightly touching the knife. She had stared at it often, but never touched it.

Hesitantly she picked it up, holding it firmly in her grip…

_The ground rumbled beneath their feet. A large creature came out from the ground. Amanda needed to get to the shuttle. He had felt life growing within her. His child grew within her so she needed to live. He charged at the creature, sure that he wouldn’t survive the confrontation._

_“Goodbye, my child. Have a long life,” he thought before taking his own life. He wouldn’t allow the maw to have him._

Shepard dropped the knife, tears streaming down her face as a sob escaped her. She had just seen her father’s death. Her father had known that her mother was pregnant with her. She couldn’t believe it. Her father had given his life so her mother could live.

“Commander, we will be at our destination in twenty minutes,” EDI announced. Shepard scrubbed her hands over her face, trying to wipe away the tears and set her mind straight. She should have waited before touching the knife. She should have waited until after the IFF.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

The mission was about what she’d expected. However, she’d been unprepared for the arrival of the geth who’d saved her life. She couldn’t read him like living beings, which irked her. She couldn’t smell if he lied, or tell his emotions. She had to rely on sight and sound.

She was still debating what to do with the information her newest crew member had given her. They had a chance to wipe out all heretical geth, but the mission wasn’t mandatory. She could just go through the Omega IV relay and be done with it. She sighed. She knew she should do it. The geth were dangerous and she had a chance to stop them.

She scowled at her computer when a message appeared. She opened it to find that it was from Admiral Hackett. She hadn’t spoken to him in a long time. Without second guessing herself she opened a com channel between them. It was so good to hear his voice. It brought back so many memories of her time with the Alliance.

“What can I do for you, Hackett?” she asked informally, testing the waters to see how he would respond to her.

“Aaran, it’s good to see you’re alive. But Cerberus?” he questioned.

“Don’t have much of a choice. Once I come back alive from the Omega IV relay, I’m either kicking their asses or shutting them out of my life for good. God, I hate the Illusive Prick,” she grumbled.

“It’s good to hear that you haven’t actually sided with them,” he murmured with a relieved smile.

“No, I’m only doing this to stop the collectors,” she told him. “Never wanted to be associated with them.”

“I have a favor to ask, and this one is personal. A friend of mine has gone missing. The last communication I received said that she was in batarian space. She may have located more information on the reapers,” he told her, watching her carefully.

“What do you need me to do?” she asked, her eyes turning cold at the mention of batarians and reapers in the same sentence.

“I need you to rescue her,” Hackett stated.

“As soon as I return, I will rescue her. I can’t do it now. There is too much at stake and I don’t want another colony to go missing,” she told him firmly.

“What if you don’t return?” he asked. “You and the Normandy are her only hope of rescue.”

“Don’t worry, I will be returning. I promise,” she stated firmly.

“How can you be so sure?” he asked with a puzzled expression.

Aaran gave a slight smile and replied, “Because I’m the voice of a people long dead, or so my father told me.” She waited for his reaction and he didn’t disappoint. The usual firm mask that revealed nothing slipped, showing the man beneath it. She saw his shock at her statement.

“If that is all, sir…?” she asked, preparing to cut the transmission. She stopped when he opened his mouth to speak again.

“No, that is not all. We want you to go to the Normandy crash site and place a monument there. If possible, we would also like you to retrieve any dog tags you may find of any fallen personnel. Can you do that before finishing the Omega IV relay?” he requested. She could see the hope in his eyes.

“Yeah I’ll tell Joker to set course immediately,” she told him.

“Oh and Aaran… the new look suits you a lot better,” he murmured before cutting their communication. She stared at the screen for a few moments and let a small smile curl her lips.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

She took Garrus and Tali with her to the crash site. Thane and Grunt were waiting to place the monument for her when she gave the word. She stepped off the shuttle and gasped. The Normandy was in ruins, strewn across the frozen wasteland.

Tali went one way while Garrus stayed by her side. She was surprised by that. She walked to the first part of the wreckage of the ship. Just inside she found a set of dog tags. Her breath caught as she picked them up. Pain tore through her as she watched the woman’s final moments. She felt her fear and her loss. A child she would never see again and a husband that she would never be able to hold again. She placed the tags in her pouch and continued on with those memories burned in her brain.

Each dog tag found held their final moments. Tali passed her the ones she had found. Their screams and their fears tore through her, and the first of many tears trailed down her cheek. Their deepest yearnings before death claimed them was hers to remember.

They had found all the tags, and she was close to openly sobbing at the pain she felt. So many died… so many who had left behind family. Each one of them prayed that they could see their loved one once more. Each of them said a silent goodbye to those same loved ones when they knew they wouldn’t survive. She knew them by name. She knew what they looked like and their final words.

She stopped when she saw something partially buried in the snow. Her breath caught as she dug it out. Her helmet… Slowly she reached to pick it up, her hands trembling as she lightly touched the metal surface.

_Fire, burning hot, engulfed her. Her body fell faster and faster. She couldn’t breathe, yet she still lived. She watched over her shoulder as the planet came closer. She gasped for breath, blackness eating her vision, but she fought it off. The fire grew more intense, eating at her skin._

_She screamed. The pain was so intense as she burned. She struggled and kicked… anything to make it stop. Her vision turned black, yet her heart still beat. She gasped. There was air…._

_The ground hit her….then there was nothing. All the pain was gone._

Aaran screamed at the top of her lungs as she clutched the helmet. Thane and Grunt ran to see what was wrong. Garrus tried to pry the helmet out of her hands, but it was impossible. She was too strong.

Aaran dropped the helmet when the vision ended. Her hands shook as she stared at the large indentation in the ground and knew. “I died here,” she whispered. “I died when my body hit the ground.”

The silence was deafening. All looked at her, not sure what to say. “My body burned, yet I still lived. The fire ate at my skin and still I lived,” she muttered, shaking her head as tears ran down her cheek. Her helmet hid all traces of them.

Thane motioned for Grunt to follow him. He noticed the krogan hesitate and then narrow his eyes at him. He thought for sure that Grunt was not going to listen and he didn’t want to fight the krogan. “Go with him, Grunt,” Shepard ordered.

Thane smirked. Grunt didn’t hesitate when Shepard spoke. He didn’t argue, didn’t complain; he just did it. His battle master had spoken. No one could lead Grunt other than Shepard, unless she said otherwise. Then he would do it to make her proud.

“Grab the other side. We will bring it to where Shepard died. I think that is where the memorial should be,” Thane told him, wondering if that would sway the krogan into listening. Grunt didn’t say a word as he lifted his side. The differences in their heights made the maneuver awkward.

“Drop it, Drell,” Grunt ordered. Thane gave him a curious look. He sounded like Shepard when giving a command, using the same tone that said ‘do it or else’. Thane lowered his side and watched as the krogan picked it up and trudged through the snow toward their commander.

“Where do you want this, Shepard? The drell said to put it here,” Grunt told her.

“No, that is for everyone,” she said. “Place it over by the mako.” She saw Garrus give her a curious look. “It’s been through a lot more than I have. It’s still the same mako from Ilos. I wouldn’t let them give me a new one. They patched her up,” she murmured with a sad smile.

“The same one? Damn! That thing should be dipped in gold after surviving a year of your driving,” Garrus murmured with a grin.

“Keelah! Don’t remind me of her driving. I’m just glad there is no mako on this ship,” Tali muttered with a shake of her head.

“We have the hammerhead now,” Garrus muttered with a shudder. She noticed Tali’s hand quiver for a moment and Thane’s eyes take on a horrified look.

“Ha! I like her driving,” Grunt declared, receiving groans from his companions for his efforts.  

Garrus and Tali followed Grunt, Shepard right behind them. Thane was retrieving the helmet when he noticed tags sitting in the snow. He thought at first they were human. Upon closer examination, he discovered that they were turian. Unsure why they would be in the Normandy’s wreckage, he stood up and walked over to Garrus.

“Here, I think these are yours,” Thane murmured, passing him the tags. Shepard was already heading back to the shuttle. Thane looked on curiously as Garrus stared down at the tags and then watched Shepard walk away.

“They aren’t mine. They are Executor Verani Pallin’s. He died on the Citadel when Saren and the geth attacked,” Garrus told him.

“How did they get here?” Thane questioned. He wasn’t sure if he should have asked by the look on Garrus’ face. He appeared troubled and sad.

“When Verani died Sparatus, the Turian Councilor, gave them to Pallin’s mate,” Garrus murmured, his eyes never leaving Shepard’s back. “Shepard never took them off… until she died. They were together for almost eight years and I am worried about giving them to her now. After what she experienced with her helmet, I am not sure what she will see from these.”

Thane stared at the commander, as well; unsure what to do. He didn’t know the whole story, but he knew this would affect Shepard. He knew losing someone that you loved was hard and she had been with her mate for a long time. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to give them to her. “We should head back to the shuttle,” Thane murmured and walked away. He heard Garrus following close behind him, his steps heavier than normal. He smirked sadly. They both cared for the commander, but neither of them could do anything about it. He’d tried once and found himself pinned against the wall with a growling Shepard. She’d very bluntly told him he wasn’t worthy; not because of what he had done, but because she could smell the sickness on him.

It had been a hard blow, but he understood that it wasn’t meant as an insult. It was an instinctual reaction.  

                                                                           ~ooooooooo~

Garrus looked down at the tags they had collected from the Normandy wreck. They were waiting for a ship to meet with them to collect them. He had refused to allow Shepard to store them in her room. He had taken them from her and brought them to the Main Battery. He didn’t think she should risk touching them again. No one else had noticed how hard that mission had affected her, but he had smelled the pain and sadness. It had covered her like a shroud.

He sighed, wondering what reaction Shepard had when Liara handed her the tags she wore before her death. He was betting that it was painful, but he wasn’t too sure.

He made his way up to Aaran’s room, Pallin’s tags in his hands. He stared at them uncertainly, not sure if he should give them to her.

He walked into her room. She was sitting on her bed with the prothean artifacts. “Aaran?” Garrus questioned softly, hoping she wasn’t lost in a memory.

“Hey, Garrus,” she looked up and gave him a sad smile. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the tags in his hand. “Are those….” she trailed off, not sure if she was right.

“Yes. Thane found them by your helmet. They are Verani’s,” Garrus answered quietly. He walked over to her, taking a seat on the bed next to her. She took the tags from him and smiled softly.

“Even after being out in the weather and not touching him for years, it still has faint memories of him,” she murmured with a sad smile. She rose to her feet and walked over to where her tags lay. She placed Varani’s tags beside hers. She noticed Garrus’ questioning glance. “It’s time for me to move on and let him go,” she answered softly.

Garrus placed a hand on her shoulder. He nuzzled the top of her head, trying to give her comfort as she turned into his arms. He hugged her like she had him when she had first seen him on Omega. He felt the tension leave her body after a few moments and was glad that he could help her. He didn’t know how she did it - being strong for everyone. He was glad she could relax with him and not hide her emotions.   

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooooo~

Garrus was worried about Shepard. He knew they were just a few hours away from the heretic geth ship. He wondered if she had recovered from the Normandy crash site experience to even go. He knew it wouldn’t stop her, but it didn’t lessen his worry. He left the Main Battery in search of her.

He found her sleeping in her room and smiled when he saw her twitching. He didn’t need to be told that she was dreaming of the commander again. He knew she didn’t understand why she would have those dreams, but Garrus was pretty sure it was because that was the only race that could be with her comfortably. He felt sorry for his friend, knowing that she would never again have another mate.                                                                ~oooooooooooo~

Choices. Everything in life is a choice. She thought back to something she’d heard a long time ago from her mother. ‘There is always a choice. Even when you don’t think there is, there is always one. You just had to find it,’ she used to say. Now she was standing in front of a computer console making one such choice. Should she rewrite the geth to turn from the reapers or destroy them? Neither choice was good. There were pros and cons to each. There was a chance that the heretics could be rewritten again. If she killed them, she could end their threat for good.

But if the reapers came, there was no choice. She needed a strong army and the geth could be powerful allies. “Rewrite them, Legion,” she ordered.

Was it the right decision? She didn’t know and there was no time to dwell on it. She had done what she thought was right. She hated having to wait and see what would happen, but for now it was her only choice.

She had also worked toward mending the difference between Tali and Legion. With a few well-chosen words, she convinced them to try working together and understanding each other. Tali gave Legion information he could use, and Legion taught her about the geth. The change in attitude had floored Garrus.

They were just a few hours away from the Omega IV relay. Her big mission was almost done and humans would be safe once more. At least until the reapers came. That war would be entirely different. All races would be needed in the battle, but the Council wasn’t making it easy. The turian representative made their collective disdain quite clear when she had spoken to them on the Citadel. They considered the reapers a rumor. Sparatus, the Turian Councillor, had used air quotes when making reference to the ancient race. He’d stopped and looked worriedly at her when she growled. His discomfort gave her pleasure.


	14. Chapter 14

Shepard made her way down to Mordin’s office. She didn’t know what the salarian wanted, but it didn’t matter. She had to go, anyway. She stepped into his lab and watched as he flitted around the computers, reading off numbers that were complete gibberish to her.

“Ah good, you came. Take a seat. Have something important to discuss. Finished looking over all samples given to me. Looked over history. Have information that will help you,” Mordin said as he passed her a datapad.

“Mordin, what’s going on?” Shepard asked as she glanced at the information on the datapad. Her eyes widened as she realized that she was looking at information on sexual protection. She felt  her cheeks burn and knew that she was blushing profusely.

“Did many tests and research. Just like turians and drells, your body produces a chemical when aroused. Drell chemical causes hallucinations, turians can cause allergic reactions, but you….” Mordin trailed off as he looked at another datapad.

“But me… what?” Shepard asked impatiently.

“Your body gives off a scent. Not sure how others will react to scent, but your physiology shows that when aroused your body gives off a scent. The scent…” Mordin trailed off and scratched the back of his head. He had many theories concerning the musk, but none were definite. He walked over to Shepard and took her hand. He knew this would be simpler than explaining everything. He should have done this as soon as she walked in. Would have been less embarrassing.

“In other words, you know there will be a reaction of some kind, but you don’t know what will it is,” Aaran muttered. “Did you find anything that could be dangerous to others?” she asked.

“No, just need to learn control of instincts. Noticed you have no control when your instincts take over,” Mordin answered with a smirk.

Aaran chuckled. She knew she didn’t have much control. It’s not as if she had been like this all her life. “Thanks for the information, Mordin. I’ll keep it in mind for when I do need it.” She told the salarian before leaving the room.

~oooooooooooooooo~

Garrus found himself up in Shepard’s room on the night before they reached the Omega 4 relay. He needed to be with someone he trusted. He didn’t want to be alone on this night. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep his thoughts straight.

Garrus looked at Aaran, wondering if he should take his chances with her. Should he try for a relationship with her? He wasn’t sure. His eyes widened as he heard Shepard start purring. It wasn’t the first time he had heard her purr. Combining it, however, with the thoughts going through his mind could be a very bad idea.

“Aaran, have you ever thought about taking another mate?” Garrus asked, trying to hide the uncertainty in his voice.

“Garrus, you’re forgetting about something. I know what you’re thinking,” she murmured with amusement. Garrus hesitated and then remembered that she was leaning against him and could feel and know everything he was thinking.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” he stated, almost holding his breath in fear.

Aaran thought about it for a moment. Could she be with Garrus as a mate? Pallin had been dead for almost three years, but for her it’d only been a year. She felt worry and fear coming from Garrus and knew she had to answer. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

She didn’t feel awkward, but she knew that she didn’t love Garrus as she had loved Verani. Silently she debated and decided that there was only one way to find out. With a wicked grin at Garrus she shifted quickly and straddled his lap; enjoying the shocked expression on his face.

“Shepard, are you sure…” Garrus asked, his voice trailing off in his uncertainty.

 “The question should be ‘are _you_ sure’?” she whispered against his cheek. “But I don’t want this to ruin our friendship.”

“Shepard, that will never happen. No matter what happens tonight, you are my best friend and nothing could change that,” Garrus said passionately as his forehead met hers.

Shepard reached her hand up hesitantly, slowly cupping his cheek. She could feel the certainty in his words and knew even if things don’t happen everything would be fine. She grew confident when she heard his purr and reached for the softer skin beneath his fringe; her other hand running along the length of his neck.    

Garrus was speechless, not sure how to answer. He could barely think straight with her hands stroking him. He could feel her small nails digging in and his plates started shifting. _Was he sure…._ He didn’t know. Shepard was his best friend, his comrade at arms. They protected each other both professionally and personally. This was Shepard… even if it ended in a mess he knew there would be no harm done. He knew that with certainty.

He laced his clawed fingers through her hair, shocked at how soft it felt. He hadn’t been with many partners outside his own race and he wasn’t sure what to do or how to please her. He knew she was different from asaris and humans, but he still hoped that he would be able to give her pleasure.  He followed her hands, hoping if he did the same she would experience pleasure. He messaged the skin beneath her hair and thought he was making headway when her head bent forward.

He looked in her eyes and knew she was receiving pleasure, but not the amount that  he desired for her.

Shepard reached for his hands and placed them on her breasts. She smiled when she saw his uncertainty, and  instantly knew that he hadn’t been with a human before. “We’re similar to asaris,” she murmured, wondering if he’d been with any of them. “But you don’t have to be as careful,” she breathed against his sensitive neck. Garrus purred as he felt her hot, moist breath.

Garrus tested to see if what she said was true. He flicked his claw across the nub that was poking out from her shirt. He grinned in pleasure at her reactions, one arm automatically encircling her to keep her in place. She arched her back, threw her head back and moaned. He did it again, growling softly as she clutched harder onto his sensitive skin. He didn’t bother asking permission when he sliced his claws through her shirt, baring her before him.

Aaran gasped when she felt the cool air of the room hit her heated skin. Her eyes flicked open when she heard the sound of opening armor snaps. She grinned as she watched him take off his upper armor, leaving his upper torso clad only in an under suit.

She met his eyes, hooking one hand into the material and jerking hard; ripping it down the center. She ran her nails along his chest making sure to get every seam until she came to his waist. She didn’t use nails in that location. That would have been painful to him.

“We should move to the bed before we go further,” she whispered.

Garrus didn’t answer. His gaze travelled over her body, taking in the red frills on her lower body near her hips. He leaned in tasting her skin. He had to stop. Her taste was almost bitter. He hadn’t expected that.

“Garrus, we don’t have to continue,” she told him.

“Shepard…” he started, but she cut him off.

“No, listen to me. My scent is a warning to you, my skin tastes bitter. Doesn’t that tell you that this will be a trial for you?” she asked softly.

Garrus growled in frustration. He ignored her and nipped at her skin until he had her squirming in his arms. He wasn’t going to give up. He wasn’t going to come this far and leave them both in this state.

Without warning he stood up, taking her with him. He didn’t say a word as he tossed her onto the bed and quickly followed her, a grin on his lips.

Shepard took off her pants and the rest of her clothing before Garrus got it into his head to tear them off of her. She watched as he shed the rest of his clothes. His physique wasn’t as large as Pallin’s had been, but he was in better shape. He had more muscles.

Garrus purred as his body met hers. He trailed his claws along her skin, enjoying the new texture of it. Once she had been human soft and then he had watched her change. Now she had tougher skin than humans, though still not as tough as his own.

His hand travelled toward the area where her scent was strongest. He found her wet and wondered if that was a good sign. He hoped it was. His eyes widened at the reaction he got when he lightly ran his claw over a small flap of skin. He did it again, holding her hips still so that he didn’t harm her.

He kept toying with the flap, trying different techniques. When she shivered he slipped his claw into her opening and reveled in her reaction. He watched as she came apart for him, her body bucking and shivering as she cried out in pleasure.

His plates had shifted long ago and he wanted to be within her; to know if this could actually work. A piece of him was nervous, but he was determined to have her as his mate. With one powerful thrust he buried himself inside of her.

He moved and focused on the soft walls closing around him. His urge to bite her grew. He never found his release without holding onto the person with whom he was mating. It was the turian way. He noticed that Shepard had turned her head off to the side, waiting for his bite. With a groan he gave into temptation and clamped his teeth on her shoulder.

Her taste was stronger and he couldn’t do it. His eyes closed as he felt himself grow soft. The taste of her had turned him off. “Garrus, stop and go onto your back,” Shepard said gently. He didn’t know what she had planned, but he knew he wouldn’t be finding release with her. He also knew he could never take Shepard as his mate; no matter how much he wanted to.

Garrus’ eyes widened as Aaran bent over his waist; drawing close to the slit that guarded his genitals. He didn’t know what she had planned, but he trusted her with his life. He groaned as he felt her run a finger along the seam of his pouch. He nearly shouted when her hand enveloped the soft shaft that had just moments ago been in the pouch. Next he felt something wet surround him. He shouted his surprise and pleasure when he saw that it was her mouth that was going up and down on him. He watched as he disappeared within her mouth and knew he wasn’t going to last for long. This was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. He had never allowed any female near his most intimate parts. He hadn’t trusted them enough. Turians were very sensitive there.

Shepard listened to Garrus’ moans and pleas. He said her name over and over, and just hearing it gave her pleasure. She didn’t blame him at all for not taking her for a mate. It would never work. He wasn’t made for her.

She smiled, happy that she was able to bring him to release. She gazed up at him as he lay totally relaxed on her bed, purring happily.

She curled up beside him as she saw him drift to sleep. She wondered if she would ever find anyone she could call her own. She missed the closeness that intimacy could bring.

Slowly she drifted off to sleep, allowing Garrus’ purrs to sooth her.                                                          

                                                            ~oooooooooooooooo~

They said she wouldn’t make it to Ilos and she did. They said going through the Omega IV relay was suicide. She proved them wrong. More than that, she returned with a complete crew. She lost no one, though the ship sustained some damage. She had even managed to rescue the crew that had been taken by the collectors when they attacked the Normandy.

She’d been told when she was younger that if she put her mind to it, she could do the impossible. The person was right.

They were heading to have repairs done, and then she would do the favor Admiral Hackett had asked of her. That mission set her more on edge than the suicide mission she’d just completed.

What shocked her more than anything was the small number of  injuries that were sustained. She’d kept Thane and Samara with her during the mission, Garrus had led the teams, and Tali acted as the duct rat. She had to grin when she thought of that name. She knew Tali wouldn’t appreciate it.

Garrus had already been patched up and was now with his canons. Thane was still in med bay. Shortly after jumping onboard he had taken a bullet protecting her while she jumped across a large gap to reach the Normandy. While she dangled at the edge of the ship, many hands had helped her inside. There was no way she was falling with all the help.

They had celebrated for a while once they were safely away from the collector base. When she’d learned that Thane was injured she had ordered him to see Chakwas. She chuckled when she remembered the glare he had given her. She had told him to get his scaly ass to medbay or she would carry him there. He had glowered at her for the walk to the doors. Then he passed out and she was scared.

Another drastic change was EDI. She was unshackled and Shepard wasn’t sure what to think of that fact. Joker defended her, and that for the moment she could accept his assurance.

“Shepard, can you come down to the medbay?” Mordin asked. Aaran hesitated, a knot of fear stuck in her belly. She hoped she wouldn’t lose a crew member now that the battle was over.

“I’ll be there in a moment Mordin,” she said as she rushed to the elevator.

Mordin stood beside Thane’s bed, she couldn’t see the drell, but from the tension in the room she knew something was very wrong. “What is it, Mordin?” she asked urgently as she moved over to the bed. Her nose wrinkled as she smelled death.

“He lost too much blood. No one is compatible so far, but wanted to check to see if you were. You are the only crew member that hasn’t been checked,” he murmured.

“Sure,” she said and held out her arm. Quickly he took a small amount of blood and went over to his desk. She stood beside Thane’s bed, hesitant to touch him. She knew it gave people comfort, but she didn’t want to feel what he was feeling.

“Shepard, come here,” Mordin ordered. She raised a brow, giving him a glare for ordering her. Instead of saying something she made her way to his side.

“What?” she asked warily.

“Need your blood,” he told her, and without waiting for her to take a seat he hooked up an IV.

“I’m not drell,” she commented.

“No, but blood compatible with many races,” Mordin told her. She didn’t bother asking. She knew it would only go over her head. She kept silent as she watched her blood leave her body. Finally someone brought her a chair.

She was surprised when it didn’t take very long. She watched as Mordin hooked Thane up and watched her blood run into the drell. “Do you think this will work?” she asked.

“Not sure. Will know more in a few hours. Will inform you,” Mordin said with a shrug. She walked over to Thane, taking his hand in hers. She was surprised at what she felt. Peace, satisfaction and contentedness. There was no anger, no confusion. There was pain, but that was easily blocked out. He knew it was her holding his hand and was happy. Her face turned sour when she felt his emotions toward her. She still hated that he had an interest in her, but didn’t say anything. One warning was enough and he had backed off; not pushing for a romance.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooo~

Sleep eluded her that night. She could sleep more later, but first she needed to see how Thane was doing. The last she saw him was when she held his hand. She hadn’t had any reports since then so she hoped that he was doing better.

She walked into Dr. Chakwas’ office and saw Thane sitting up in bed, his chest exposed. She raised a brow as she walked over to him. “I see you are feeling better,” she commented as she pulled up a chair.

“Yes, Thane was awake and talking before a quarter of the bag was done. Shortly after you left him. Took him off your blood, his own body healing him now,” Mordin stated. “Have your blood in freezer for the next time.”

She turned her attention back to Thane. “It’s good to see you up and around,” she murmured. They talked for a few moments and then she left. Soon she would be doing another mission that set her on edge.

She didn’t know what to tell the crew about it. She hoped they would support her in her decision, but she would give them the choice before they made it to the location. She had to do that soon.

She made the announcement and not one crew member chose to leave. They all agreed that they wanted to be there to fight the Reapers. She had been very grateful. It was really unexpected and she couldn’t help the grin on her face.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooo~

**Before anyone asks, the blood transfusion will come into play in later chapters. I know its probably not able to happen, but this is fiction and once again I am taking liberties.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 13 – Mass Effect 3

She had been wary about the mission she’d accepted from Hackett from the very beginning; and her caution had proven correct. To save the lives of millions she’d had to destroy a relay and killed hundreds of thousands of batarians in the process. For her actions she’d been incarcerated for many months. They said it was for her own safety, but she had a few thoughts about that. She’d only been allowed three visitors – Hackett, Anderson and Dallin.  She hadn’t seen the Turian Ambassador since she’d been resurrected. She’d learned that the Council had ordered him to stay away due to her connection to Cerberus.   

“Aaran, you seem like you’re miles away today – to use your human phrase,” Dallin murmured with amusement. He’d never seen Shepard so distracted. 

“Get me out of here and I won’t be,” Aaran answered with a smirk. 

“I wish I could, but you know I can’t,” Dallin told her. He smiled at her. He’d gone years without talking to her. During that time he had missed her. She’d been an interesting part of his life. Always had a smile for him, treated him as an equal and never took his station into consideration. He could always look forward to Shepard talking to him as if they had been friends forever. In a way they had been, and he had missed it. Most treated him with the upmost respect, always taking his word and never questioning. Shepard always questioned and he liked that. 

“How much longer do you think they will keep me here?” she asked quietly. 

“I would start decorating,” Dallin answered with a chuckle. 

“Figures…” she grumbled, scowling at the turian. She couldn’t keep the scowl in place, not with him. 

“Aaran….” Dallin started, but hesitated; not sure how to continue. 

“Hmm?” 

“What happened after the Citadel?” he asked quietly. 

“After Saren was killed….?” She glanced up at him to see him nod. “I took the Normandy and scouted out geth. I couldn’t stay on the Citadel, not after Verani’s death. It killed me to go back to the apartment. Haven’t been there since. We were attacked by a collector vessel and it destroyed the Normandy. I was spaced and fucking Cerberus brought me back.” 

“Why would Cerberus bring you back?” Dallin asked with a puzzled look. 

“I’m still trying to figure that out. They said it was because I was the only one who could defeat the collectors, but I don’t believe it. There has to be more to it…” Aaran trailed off with a shrug. 

“I heard Garrus stayed with you through all this,” Dallin commented. 

“Yeah and I thank god for that. He kept me sane. I was thrown into a new crew, run by an organization I hated and had no one to trust until he showed up,” Aaran answered with a small smile as she thought of her friend. 

Dallin was about to say something else, but hesitated when Aaran’s head snapped up. His brow ridge rose in surprise when she growled. “Aaran, what is it?” 

“Trouble. The people outside are scared. I can feel it, smell it. Something terrible just happened,” Aaran answered as she slowly got up and walked to the door. She touched the door softly, trying to read something from it. Unfortunately it told her nothing, as no one had brushed against her door. 

Dallin watched Aaran and marvelled at the changes in her. She looked drell, but he knew she wasn’t. He wondered if this was what the protheans once looked like. He still wondered what she meant when she said that she could feel others’ emotions. It made no sense to him. 

He rose to his feet, moved over to Aaran and placed a hand on her shoulder. His hand froze when she tensed. He was pretty sure he’d just crossed a line and wondered how to fix it. “I miss him too, Dallin,” Aaran said, so softly that he had to strain to hear. He paused, shock running through him. When he touched her he had been thinking of Verani and she had known. 

“Aaran… how…?” he began, unsure of how to ask the question. 

“You touched me. I can read anyone that I touch. It’s a prothean thing, but I don’t have any control over it. So I see everything,” she muttered. 

“Everything?”

“Yeah… emotions and images. Some of them I would rather not see,” she answered, running her hand through her hair. “And I missed you, too,” she added and grinned at him. 

“So you know you’re half-prothean?” he asked with a startled look. 

“Oh I found that out during the hunt for Saren,” Aaran answered with a chuckle. She was about to say more when something outside the door drew her attention. The fear she felt had escalated, making her wonder what was transpiring. 

She placed her hand on the door once more and smirked. Her guard – James Vega - was on the other side of the door watching people scurry about. She couldn’t see what was happening clearly, but she could feel his concern. She was still in the dark about what was happening and that annoyed her. 

She took a step back when the door opened. “Sorry, Commander, but your time is up. Ambassador Dallin has to leave now,” Vega stated. He turned to the ambassador and nodded his head respectfully. “Sir, you need to report to the Normandy. It will be taking you to the Citadel.” 

“Where is the ship I came in?” Dallin asked with an edge to his voice. 

“Sir, a state of emergency has been declared. You cannot leave on your ship. It is unsafe. Admirals Anderson and Hackett have made arrangements for you to board the Normandy, instead,” Vega stated. 

“Vega, what is going on?” Aaran asked, her voice turning hard and cold as her commander’s mask slipped into place with ease. 

“Unknown, Commander. You are to report to the war council. I am here to escort you,” Vega answered with a nod. He still didn’t agree that she needed to be incarcerated, but he had no say in it.   

Aaran glanced at the man that had been charged with guarding her since her incarceration began. He was a large man. They said that she was stronger than the average human and she’d believed it. Then she met Vega. She was damned positive that she couldn’t take Vega, no matter how strong she might be. His arms were two to three times the size of hers. She would hate to see anyone piss him off. She knew there would be hospital time involved.

She’d noticed that he always avoided her touch. She didn’t need to be told that the lieutenant had been informed of her abilities. It was this man who made her incarceration bearable. If it hadn’t been for him this building would have been a slaughter house. He kept her sane. He amused her, played cards with her and brought her drinks to keep her entertained. 

She started when she felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced up at Dallin. “You should go, Aaran. I’ll see you around,” he murmured, before giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze and disappearing through the door.  

“You ready to go, Commander?” Vega asked and smirked when she scowled at him. He knew she was furious about losing her rank and ship. He’d been in attendance when the war council announced the verdict. He had seen the fear and rage in her eyes. Everyone in the room had heard her growl as she realized that all her evidence was for naught.

“You’re not supposed to call me commander anymore, James,” she reminded him. It was a joke between them and helped to lighten her mood before she faced whatever was to come. 

“Not supposed to salute you, either,” he smirked. 

She chuckled softly, shaking her head, “Lead the way.” 

Shepard stuck close to the walls. She didn’t want to touch any one, especially with all of the fear in the air. “What’s going on?” she wondered aloud. Before James could answer, Anderson walked over to her. “David?” she asked.

“How are you holding up, Aaran?” David asked with a small smile. 

“Well the building is still standing and the people are still alive, so that’s good news,” Aaran joked and grinned at him, but she could see the worry in his eyes. 

“It was the only way we could think of to protect you. I… I…. couldn’t…” he didn’t bother finishing and placed a hand on her shoulder. Anyone looking at his face would never know what he was truly feeling. Aaran met his eyes as his feelings washed over her. He was scared of losing her again. He wanted her safe. She was like another daughter to him. She saw the things he’d done to make her stay more bearable. He’d brought Vega to protect her and he’d made sure she had access to most of the facility so she could stay in top shape.

Aaran moved close to him, rose on her tip toes and kissed his cheek lightly. “Thank you,” she whispered before the commander’s mask slipped back into place. She glanced at Vega to see his reaction and no one would ever know by looking at him that anything unusual had happened. His face showed nothing, but she could see that he hadn’t been bothered about the show of affection between them. 

Anderson slipped back into his role as admiral and gave Aaran his stoic look. “You’re needed in the war room. You need to look at this as we walk,” he murmured, passing her a datapad. She tried to ignore the emotions of others that accidently brushed against her. It wasn’t easy. There was so much fear and confusion in the air that she couldn’t focus properly. 

Her gaze snapped up when another scent came to her. 

A low warning growl came from her as she bared her teeth. That scent had burned itself into her memory - the one who turned his back on her without a second thought. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Kaidan walking toward her. Her growl turned deeper, more threatening. “Shepard…” he murmured nervously. 

“Fuck off,” she snarled, snapping her teeth before walking by him. 

“You knew the commander?” Vega asked as he stood next to Major Alenko. He was surprised that Shepard acted that way toward anyone. He had never seen her so vicious, even when they placed her under arrest. He had been in the shuttle and his first thought was that the cuffs they’d used weren’t strong enough. He had great respect for the commander, and for her to react like that to anyone made him hesitate. Shepard was too good at reading people to be ignored. What did this guy done to her? 

“Yeah, I knew her once, before she changed so much. She used to look human,” Kaidan answered sadly. 

“Why did she growl at you?” Vega asked, wondering if he would get an answer. He wasn’t surprised when the major walked away without a word. 

                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard stood in front of the war board, her eyes narrowed into slits. She didn’t growl, but it was close. They’d just asked her what they could do about the situation they now faced. She had to take even breaths in order to avoid killing them. 

“If you would have listened to me four years ago, we would have been ready. Instead you labeled me as a deluded liar. Now you turn to me? Why should I help you? You lost your authority over me when you stripped me of my rank,” Aaran sneered with a cold smile. 

“Shepard, you are the only one who has fought these things and lived,” one of the advisors said. 

“Too bad about that,” Shepard murmured. “Deal with it on your own. I’m done doing your dirty work only to have you turn on me. I saved people from Saren and then died; only to have my name run through the mud. I saved humanity from the collectors and stopped the reapers from coming six months ago. My reward was to have my command and ship taken from me. I’m done helping you,” she spat. 

“Aaran, please,” Anderson murmured.  She turned to him and saw the fear and sadness in his eyes. He hadn’t wanted her to go through this. He’d stood by her. But could she forgive a race who spat on her honor? Should she be blaming an entire race when only a few had turned on her? Could she let her anger go?

“No, Anderson, not this time. I’m tired of this bullshit,” she told him softly, allowing him to see her pain. “I’m tired of being trash to humans because I’m a hybrid. I’m tired of it all. My people were right and you know it,” she said, turning around to walk out. 

“What would your mother say, Shepard?” Anderson asked quietly. What would her mother say? She would have scolded her, telling her that you can’t blame everyone for a few people’s mistakes. Then she would have given the lecture that everyone makes mistakes. Was she so perfect that she never made mistakes? 

She took two steps and stopped dead. She turned back to the war council. “You want to fight them, gather all the races.  Get them to work together and maybe we will have a chance,” she told them. Silence descended when a loud noise was heard outside. All turned to the window, and Aaran’s eyes widened. She saw the laser and knew….

“And so it begins,” she murmured and watched the first Reaper land. She watched the beam hit the earth and knew. “MOVE!” she screamed. Once again the only person that heard her was Anderson. Everyone else died. 

“Shepard?” she heard Anderson call. Slowly she rose to her feet and stared at the destruction all around. 

“Shepard, we need to get out of here,” Anderson stated. 

“Why should I join this fight? Why?” she yelled, not caring anymore. Humans had taken everything from her – her friends, her ship, her home. Then they accused her of lying. Why should she defend a race that continually betrayed her? Was she back to this again? Why couldn’t she let it go? She didn’t know.

“We need to get to the Normandy and we need to get help for earth,” Anderson stated. “Aaran, no matter how angry you are, you know it’s true.”  

“We’ll get the Normandy, but help for earth? Its lost,” she spat. “They could have been ready for this, but they turned a blind eye to it.” 

“It’s not lost yet and you know it! I thought you were a fighter! I though the great Commander Shepard could defeat anything!” Anderson mocked. “Guess I was wrong.”

She smirked when Anderson fell silent. He knew how to get to her, he really did. No, earth wasn’t gone. There was still a chance, no matter how slim. She had to give it to the old man… he knew just what to say. 

As quick as they could they made their way toward the docking port. It was easy enough until they met up with the reapers. Then things changed. All he gave her was a small gun against reapers. She looked at the gun in surprise and shook her head. She didn’t bother using it. Instead she used her biotics. It was easier and quicker than using a gun that would barely damage them. 

They found survivors, but only a few. Still, a few was better than none. She could see the hope in his eyes and seeing that hope raised her spirits. She had to defeat these things, win where her people had failed.    

They made it to the transmitter so they could get a message out. It wasn’t hopeless yet, but it was starting to look that way. She sighed. She would be onboard the Normandy without commanding the ship. She hated it. Major Alenko would be in charge now. That irked her. The backstabbing ass would be running the show and she knew that he didn’t have the balls for it. 

He’d been a good biotic when they’d worked together before, but he was not leader material. People needed someone they trusted; someone that was unwavering in their determination. That is what people wanted. He didn’t have that. He was always too cautious. 

She continued shooting at the reapers, grinning as she watched them die. Each one she killed was for her people - both human and prothean. She would fight this war and win. Humanity and the other races would live peacefully as they deserved and the protheans would finally defeat the enemy that had exterminated them. She could do this. She had to. 

                                                                                                ~oooooooooo~

She jumped onboard the Normandy, but Anderson stayed behind. She knew he would and she couldn’t argue. 

“Aaran, the Normandy is yours once again,” David stated, tossing her old tags to her.

“David…” her voice choked and she could feel her eyes burning. She met his gaze squarely. “You better stay safe and I’ll come as quick as I can with an army.” She knew he could hear her emotions through her voice and she didn’t bother hiding it. Not with him, not right now. He needed to know. 

“I’ll stay as safe as I can. Now go!” he ordered and watched her walk onto her ship. Pride bloomed within him as she vanished from sight. 

~oooooooooooo~

Aaran backed up, allowing the shuttle bay doors to close. She glared at Kaidan as he stood near her. She bit off a growl when he nodded to her. “Back off,” she warned and smirked when he took a startled step back. 

She felt the ship take off and walked away from the launch bay. She smiled at Vega as she passed him. “Aren’t we staying?” he asked. 

“No, we need to get help or this planet will fall. You don’t like it, I’ll drop you off at the Citadel and you can find your own way back,” she snapped coldly, her eyes turning deadly. 

She watched as his eyes narrowed. She waited for the blow, but it never came. Instead he started to storm away, but an urgent message from Admiral Hackett stopped him.

“Commander Shepard, we need you to get to Mars,” he ordered. “Cerberus has been spotted there.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea for me to go, sir?” she asked.

“You’re the best choice for this operation. We need the information there,” he stated before cutting coms. 

“Joker, take us to Mars,” she ordered. 

“Isn’t that a prothean ruin site?” Joker asked. 

“Yeah, it is,” she murmured. 

“This should be an interesting mission,” Joker chuckled. “We will be there in a little while.”

“What did Joker mean by ‘this mission will be interesting’?” Vega asked. Kaidan shook his head. She was still pissed at him, but she would have to swallow her anger for them to work as a team. 

“Commander Shepard has a unique reaction to prothean artifacts,” Kaidan answered. 

Aaran shrugged her shoulders. “I need you both to get ready,” she ordered. 

                                                                                ~oooooooooooo~

Shepard watched her team as they landed on Mars. The only unknown was Vega and that didn’t worry her. Not at the moment, anyway. Later she would have to test him. She glanced at Kaidan and scowled when she noticed him watching her, too. 

She stepped off the shuttle onto Mars. She glanced around and took in the storm that was coming toward them. She didn’t like the look of the clouds. She knew if they were caught in it they wouldn’t make it to the Normandy until it was over. That was the last thing she wanted.  “How long?” she asked. 

“Not long… a few hours,” Vega answered. 

“Shit! Then we better make this quick. I highly doubt we’ll be able to fly the shuttle through that back to the Normandy,” Aaran muttered. “Vega, you have lead!” 

They made their way to a small ridge and Aaran’s eyes widened when she saw movement in the distance. It was too far for her to make out, but it worried her. She made her way quietly toward a nearby hill. She used it to hide her presence. The grin that had begun to grow quickly vanished when they started executing people. “Kaidan, you have the left. Show no mercy. Vega, take the right side. I’m taking the ass in the center.”

Aaran shot out her biotics before firing her gun. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Vega’s enemies fall. She fired at the last man standing and nodded to the two men to indicate a job well done.

She led the way to the building, scowling as they found more Cerberus agents. Shepard scowled when one of the agents snuck up on her and attacked. Silently she berated herself for being out of practice. She made an internal promise that as soon as she boarded the Normandy she was going to practice her combat techniques until exhaustion took her. 

She fell to her hands from the blow and growled low. With a snarl she lunged at the agent, her hands going for his neck. She smirked with satisfaction when she heard the snap of his neck and he dropped limply to the ground. “Fucking idiot!” she hissed, kicking the body. 

She waited for Kaidan and Vega to make their way to her side before continuing. “So, Shepard, do you growl often?” Vega asked curiously. 

Aaran wasn’t sure how to answer that question, so she shrugged. She glanced at the bodies as they walked to the doors.  It was a pleasure to be able to kill them. She no longer had to play nice. “What, Vega?” she asked with annoyance when she caught him watching her. 

“Just wondering which is true. Is your other half drell or turian?” he asked. 

“Why?” she asked cautiously. 

“I’ve read reports that indicate that you are half human. The other half is either turian or drell, depending on the source of the information. Just wondering which is true,” he answered with a shrug.

“I’ll answer that question later, when we are back onboard,” she told him. 

She stepped inside of the building and knew this wasn’t part of any prothean ruins. These were human made. “Shepard, I need to know why Cerberus is here,” Kaidan asked, looking at her expectantly. 

“Get me a dead body and I’ll try reading it,” she snapped, glaring at him. 

“You were with Cerberus. You have to know what’s going on,” he argued. 

“I haven’t talked to Cerberus since I cut ties with them. And Kaidan, I don’t give a fuck if you believe me,” she growled. “You’re the one who turned your back on me and called me a traitor.”

She watched as he flinched. “Shepard…” he started, but stopped when she cut him off. 

“Don’t… You and I fought through hell together to beat Saren. Then on Horizon I could feel the mistrust, bordering on hate, as it rolled off of you. You accused me of turning against the humans, but I risked my life and the lives of others to stop the collectors’ attacks. So don’t patronize me with false platitudes. I already know where I stand with you,” she sneered. “You do your job and follow my orders and I won’t ask anything more of you, Major.” 

Kaidan saw the pain in her eyes and he started to reach out and touch her. “Don’t you dare touch me! You have no right,” she hissed, baring her teeth as a warning. She calmed somewhat when he backed off, but it didn’t matter. The events on Horizon had broken their friendship. Being labelled a traitor had been more than she could take. There would be no forgiveness for him, ever.

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooo~

Aaran grinned when she saw Liara. Quickly she moved over to the asari. “How are you doing?” Aaran asked, taking the woman’s hand in hers. She felt relief and eased fear flowing through the woman, followed by hope. 

“Better. A lot better now,” Liara murmured. “I heard about earth… I’m sorry, Aaran.” 

“Yeah, me too. Before I left I blamed humans for everything that had happened to me. A part of me still believes it. But the screams… seeing what the Reapers are capable of…. I don’t know how we are going to win this,” Aaran murmured. 

“I might have something that could help. And I think you’ll be able to fill in the missing pieces. I have schematics for a device that the protheans were going to use against the reapers, but they didn’t have enough time to finish it,” Liara told her with a smile. 

“And we do?” Shepard asked with a raised brow. 

“Aaran, it’s possible. We have to hope,” Liara reminded her. 

“True, but do we know what it actually does?” she asked. 

“No, we don’t,” Liara muttered. 

Aaran sighed, resting a hand on Liara’s shoulder. She was glad Liara was here to help. Her connections and intel gave them hope. This machine, whatever it was, made her very nervous. 

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooo~

The facility was a mess. There were dead bodies everywhere and some doctor named Eve was on the loose in the building. She couldn’t believe that Cerberus would do this. In one room, they had let out all the air. She knew what that felt like and it wasn’t the kindest way to kill someone. Those who died quickly were lucky, but she was certain that most had suffered. Cerberus had changed a lot. 

Kaidan was keeping guard while Shepard helped Liara. His eyes narrowed as he listened to Shepard. A shiver went down his spine as he heard her voice. It was hard and cold. He knew someone was going to die. His brow rose when he discovered that Shepard and Liara were speaking with the Illusive Man. 

“You do realize you’re screwing everyone over by doing this?” he heard Shepard growl. 

“I am doing this for humanity,” the other man stated. 

“Go fuck yourself! You’re doing this for yourself. I’ve seen the nice little experiments you’re performing here. Using reaper technology… God, you’re a fucking idiot. I can’t wait until I can put an end to you,” she spat. Kaidan searched for the one downloading the information and wondered once again if he had been wrong about Shepard. He’d already figured out that Aaran didn’t trust him and that hurt, but he should have expected it after Horizon. He had written a letter of apology, but he was certain that she hadn’t read it. She’d probably deleted it as soon as she saw his name.

Kaidan found the individual downloading the information. He tried to stop her, but she was too strong. He watched her take off running and wondered how in the hell they were going to catch her. The woman was quick. “She’s getting away,” he yelled over the com. He needn’t have bothered. Shepard was close behind her. His eyes widened at how quickly Shepard moved. 

They followed as quickly as they could, but he and Liara were falling behind while Shepard was still chasing her. He wondered if Shepard would have been able to keep up if she had been human. Then he thought about her training and knew she would have died trying to stop her. 

He still couldn’t believe the changes in the commander. She still looked sort of human, but there were large physical differences from the woman he used to know. Her other half was a lot more prominent now. He wondered what else had changed besides her appearance. He wondered if the essence of the woman had changed, as well. 

They’d just reached the roof when he heard the shouted orders. “Anybody! Somebody! She’s getting away,” Aaran shouted. It was the first time he’d heard panic in her voice. Even when Ashley died she’d remained calm. 

Aaran watched as a Cerberus shuttle came to pick up the doctor and she screamed curses; firing her gun to no avail. Her attention whipped to another shuttle speeding toward them. Her eyes widened as she realized that it was headed for their escape vessel. “Aaran, did you teach him how to drive?” Liara asked when the two collided. 

Aaran turned to Liara and scowled. “What? It’s true. If you had been driving you wouldn’t have hesitated to crash into something,” Liara said and smirked at her. Aaran knew there was no way they would ever let her forget her driving skills. She hoped Vega was alive as she watched the shuttle collide with the ground. Aaran watched in horror as the other shuttle opened and the doctor appeared. She yelled out a warning, but it was too late. Liara got away from her safely, but Kaidan….

Her gut twisted as she watched Kaidan get slammed against the shuttle. She lost it….

She didn’t know how she moved so quickly and she didn’t care. All she cared about was the robot that was trapped in her grip. She growled low and menacingly. She didn’t bother trying to hit it, not when it was metal. That would have been stupid. Instead she pressed her gun against its chest and pulled the trigger until the lights in its eyes dimmed. 

She raced over to Kaidan’s prone body. Relief washed over her when she heard him groan. It was a pained filled noise, but she didn’t care. He was alive. She shook her head. Despite her hatred of the man, she was still worried about him. As gently as she could she lifted his battered body and carried him to the shuttle. “Vega, get us to the Normandy now!” she ordered. 

“Is he…? Vega asked worriedly. 

“No. He’s still breathing, but he needs medical attention,” she stated as she looked over his injuries. 

“Aaran, let me check him out. I have more medical knowledge than you,” Liara reminded her as she moved over beside her friend. 

“Thanks, Liara,” Aaran murmured tiredly.   

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooooo~

Shepard moved to the mess hall. She had been right behind Joker on CIC, but his last glare told her his retribution would be something that would make her squirm for days. So she left as quickly as possible. 

Her eyes brightened when she spotted Dallin. “Well, we are on our way to the Citadel,” Aaran told him as she took a seat across from him. 

Dallin grinned when he saw her. He didn’t need to be told why she was onboard. As far as he was concerned it was about time. 

“Feel better now that you in charge once again?” Dallin asked with a smirk. 

“Not sure. I’ll let you know after the war,” Aaran answered with a shake of her head. “I know this war is going to be hell.” 

“Any ideas on how to defeat the reapers?” Dallin asked tiredly. He’d heard Aaran’s warnings, and believed them, but there was nothing he could do. He just hoped they could win this. 

“There is schematic we found on Mars, but we aren’t sure what it may mean yet,” Aaran muttered. 

“Prothean weapon?” Dallin murmured. He had heard the talk on the ship. He still couldn’t believe it. 

“Yeah, now we are heading to the Citadel. I have to get the Council races fighting together,” Aaran stated. 

“That won’t be easy with the reapers arrival, but I’ll be there with you. Maybe it might make a difference,” Dallin shrugged and sighed quietly. He glanced up at the Shepard and watched as she drifted into deep thought. He didn’t need to be told that she was thinking about the war.

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooooo~

Shepard sighed in relief when they docked. Good. They finally had help for Kaidan. She opened the hatch and escorted the medics in, leading them to where Kaidan lay. “Where are you taking him?” she asked as they left the ship. 

“To Heurta Memorial Hospital,” one of them told her. She glanced back at Vega and Liara.

“I’ll go talk with the Council and get them updated,” Liara murmured. 

Aaran turned her attention to a man walking toward her. Her brow rose as she watched him near. “Captain Bailey,” she greeted. 

“It’s commander now,” Bailey told her with a pain expression. Shepard smirked at him. She could understand his dislike of the position. 

“Hmm, sounds like fun,” she murmured. 

“It’s not. There is time to visit your friend before you see the Council,” Bailey stated. He couldn’t read her expression well, but he knew she’d always cared for her crew. 

“I think I might,” she murmured before walking toward the elevator. 

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

She wasn’t surprised to find Kaidan unconscious. She wasn’t even sure if he would wake. If she were honest with herself, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. He used to be a good friend, but after Horizon she didn’t think things could ever be the same again. 

She left the hospital and headed for the Council. This was a meeting that concerned her. They needed the races to unite, but she knew she probably wouldn’t get the help she needed. 

Dallin walked beside her as they entered the Council’s chambers. Shepard was about to explain the situation, but stopped when Dallin stepped in. 

“Sparatus, you know we need everyone fighting together on this. I’ve been to earth and saw firsthand what those reapers can do… They need to be stopped,” Dallin said passionately.

“We must think of our own boarders. Only then can we think of helping,” the Asari Councillor stated. Shepard glared at her. She could understand, but it was just another in a line of excuses. There was no way they would be able to secure their own boarders and everyone knew it. 

“Just say what you mean, Tevos. You won’t help us because you don’t want to get involved,” Aaran snapped coldly. 

“Shepard…” Tevos warned. 

“Don’t… Don’t even think of threatening me. If it wasn’t for me all of you would be dead and the reapers would already have destroyed everything. You don’t want to help me? That’s fine. Just don’t turn to me when they come to your planet…” Aaran warned her coldly before turning on her heel.

“Aaran…” She stopped when she heard Dallin’s voice. With a sigh she looked over her shoulder at him. “You can’t turn your back on everyone.”

“I have no choice. I can’t help those who don’t want it. Humans need the most help right now and no one will lift a finger. So it’s up to me to do it,” Aaran said softly. 

“You can’t fight this war alone,” Dallin said incredulously. 

“No I can’t, but what choice do I have? Everyone looks to me to fight their wars,” Aaran muttered with a shrug before resuming her exit. 

“Aaran!” She stopped at the sound of the new voice. Slowly she turned to face the Council. Her focus was on Sparatus and wondered why he had stopped her. 

“Go to Palaven’s moon and get the Primarch. With the Primarch’s aid you can call a Council…” Sparatus told her, glaring at the other two councillors when they gasped. She smirked at them and nodded to Sparatus. “One more thing,” he added, “We never took your Spectre status away. Hopefully it will be useful to you in this fight.”

“I hope so, too. I am going to need all the help I can get,” Aaran muttered. “And Sparatus…. Thanks.” 

“There is more we should discuss, but now isn’t the time. When you have a chance, meet me in my office,” he stated with a nod and dismissed her. 

Dallin walked beside her. “I’ll do what I can from here. Keep in contact and I’ll see what help I can get you,” he told her. 

“Thanks, Dallin,” Shepard murmured before placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. With a nod she left him there and headed to the Normandy. It was time for her to show the reapers what it meant to piss her off.  


	16. Chapter 16

Shepard stepped onto CIC after examining the changes made to her room. She had to smirk. Anderson had made some changes, as she’d expected. The exposed wires were the only thing that bothered her. “Commander, you have messages,” a nearby voice called stated. Aaran stared at her yeoman specialist. It was odd. She gotten used to Kelly, but Traynor was just as good. 

“Thanks,” Shepard murmured and walked over to her computer terminal. Her eyes narrowed when she read a particular message. Cerberus had located a prothean artifact on Eden Prime. Her mind flashed back to the visions she had seen; particularly those of the Commander. She couldn’t allow Cerberus to get their hands on anything found on Eden Prime. It was too dangerous. Before heading there, however, she needed to get Garrus. It wasn’t the Normandy without him and she knew for a damn fact that the turian would be on Palaven moon. And if he was still the man she knew, he would be right in the middle of the fight. 

“Joker, get us to the Palaven moon, Menea. Following that, we head to Eden Prime,” she ordered. 

“I take it you’re planning to retrieve Garrus,” Joker commented with a grin. 

“Bet your ass I am,” Aaran grinned before heading to the lower decks to get ready for the mission. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooo~

Sleep was troubling once again. That commander was once again invading her dreams; doing things to her body that no other could. She dreaded those dreams and yearned for them. She didn’t understand why she was having them. It made no sense to be dreaming of having sex with a man that was long dead. 

In the morning she would land on Palaven’s moon. They’d already seen the war that was raging there and it brought a lump of fear to her throat. She knew that somewhere in the middle of it Garrus was probably fighting. The worst part was that they couldn’t rush their arrival or they would give their position away to the reapers. That was the last thing she wanted to do. 

She gave up, not even bothering to see if she could get back to sleep. She knew it would be useless. Instead she readied herself for the mission; donning her armor and rechecking her guns. She needed to do something. She thought about landing on Palaven and seeing if they could save Garrus, but she knew he wouldn’t appreciate that. He would want to be there fighting with his people.

                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

She just returned from the communications tower, and grinned when she heard his voice. Relief flowed through her, Garrus was alive. “Commander,” he greeted her with a grin. 

“Garrus, good to see you,” she murmured with a shake of his hand. “You still owe me that drink,” she reminded him with an impish grin. 

“Still haven’t changed. Thought confinement would have made you a little more moody,” he murmured. 

“Oh I was, but now that we are actually doing something, I get to put my mood to good use,” she told him. She sighed. She would have loved to talk more, but they needed to get to Victus. “So do you know where the new Primarch is?” she asked him. 

“Yeah, I’ll take you to the last place I saw him,” he told her. “And, Shepard, it’s good to have you back. I thought for sure the reapers were going to win. Now I know they won’t. We have the perfect weapon. Steal your coffee, blame it on them and that should take care of everything.” 

“Hardy har-har! You are so funny, Vakarian,” she grumbled with a smirk. 

“It’s a gift,” he chuckled and then cleared his throat when he noticed that he had the general’s attention. He didn’t bother explaining why he wasn’t acting as a turian should. 

“And I thought turian females were bad. You’re willing to pit her against a reaper by withholding her coffee?” the general murmured with a smirk. 

Aaran knew he was trying to show he had no problem with their bantering, but couldn’t pull it off. She smirked at him. “Nobody gets between me and my coffee. It’s bad for their health,” she grinned and then motioned for her companions to follow her. 

Her eyes narrowed when she got an urgent message from the Normandy. “Liara, go see what in the hell is going on and make sure I have a ship to come back to,” Aaran grumbled with a scowl. 

Garrus watched her for a few moments. Things were finally looking up. His planet may be burning, but now they had a fighting chance against the reapers. With a shake of his head to clear his thoughts, he led them through the cliffs to Victus’ last known location. 

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooo~

Shepard sat with Garrus in the mess hall, trying to relax. They were catching up on the last few months. His life had been hectic while hers was put on hold. 

“Still having those dreams?” Garrus asked with a grin.

“Yeah, I am still having the dreams about the beacon and the commander,” Aaran muttered with a slight blush. 

“And the commander…?” Garrus murmured with shock in his voice. He remembered when he’d witnessed her having that particular dream. In a way he had been envious that the dream could give her pleasure that he couldn’t. But even though they been together intimately, it hadn’t ruined their friendship. They both understood that nothing could come of it.  

“Yes and him!” Aaran muttered with a glare. 

Garrus felt sympathy for her, but he didn’t push further. It saddened him to think that she wouldn’t find a mate. He remembered how happy she had been with Pallin. He wished he could find a mate, but most females he met were found to be lacking when compared to Shepard. 

He decided to drop the subject and change it to something more relaxing. He searched for a subject, but couldn’t come up with anything. 

“I guess I should tell you that we are headed to Eden Prime. Cerberus has found something prothean and we are going to collect it. We hope it will give us more information on the Crucible. 

Garrus eyes widened. Having Shepard near anything prothean created a really interesting scenario. There was no way he wasn’t going on that mission. “Let me know when to suit up. I’m not missing out on this,” Garrus told her with a grin. 

“Figured you would say that. I’m going to have a larger team than normal since you’re adamant on going. I’m also bringing Liara and James,” she told him. She knew he wouldn’t care one way or the other. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooooo~

“Joker, take us to Eden Prime as fast as you can,” she ordered. 

“Already on it. We are just a few hours out,” Joker told her. He wondered what was so important on that long forgotten planet. 

She stared at the galaxy map, her eyes narrowed. They were going back to where it all began for her - the place that had started her transformation and awakened her prothean genes. It was on that planet that they received the first message about the reapers, and discovered that Saren had gone rogue. Now the reapers had returned and they were going back to the beginning. The irony wasn’t lost on her. 

She didn’t bother saying a word as she entered the elevator. She headed straight to Liara. She found the woman looking over information. “Liara, we’re heading to Eden Prime. Cerberus has found a prothean artifact. Maybe it will be able to help with the device,” Shepard murmured as she took a seat. 

“We found the prothean beacon there, so there is a very good chance that this will be important, too,” Liara murmured. 

“Yeah. We just need to hope Cerberus hasn’t moved it,” Shepard muttered.       

“How are you going to be ,Shepard?” Liara asked worriedly as she reached up, lightly touching the side of her face curiously. 

“Do you mean, will I go through any more changes? No, I have no more dormant genes. I am still learning how to control what I do have,” Shepard reassured her. 

“I still can’t get over that you’re a prothean hybrid,” Liara shook her head with a slight smile. 

“Yes, I know. You’ve mentioned it a quite few times over the years,” Aaran retorted dryly with a grin. “We’re heading there now to collect the artifact. I want you to come with me.”

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooo~

Liara punched in the code to raise the elevator that held the artifact. Her mind started buzzing. She could feel him near. Liara didn’t need to tell her what her scans showed. She moved as if in a trance to a nearby stasis pod, placing her hand lightly on the solid lid. 

_Firm hands run along her body. A deep voice purrs. His pleasure shoots through her, his scent filling her… calling to her. Sharp teeth pierce her skin, making her body clench. He feels her pleasure, his touch on her body. Their minds are completely in sync. Their two bodies move as one as he whispers words to her…._

Liara’s voice broke her of the images; her mind not quite catching what was said. She stood there shivering and trying to hide her reaction. 

“Shepard, there is a living prothean in there,” Liara murmured in awe.

“Come again, Liara? Did you say a living prothean?” Garrus muttered, looking at her in disbelief. 

“Yes, a living prothean,” Liara repeated. 

Garrus looked at Shepard and noticed her rapt attention to the pod. “Wonder if it’s the commander,” he joked.  

James watched the commander curiously. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Joker had warned him to expect the unexpected when it came to Shepard and any prothean objects they might encounter. He watched as she moved toward the object as if in a trance. He wasn’t sure if he should stop her or try and snap her out of it. He heard Liara’s comment and raised a brow. How in the hell did a prothean live so long? He stared at Shepard nervously as she spoke. 

“I know,” Aaran whispered. “We need to get him out of there as soon as possible.”

“Is he aware of what is going on?” Liara asked, walking over to her friend. She was going to place a hand on her shoulder, but stopped when Shepard turned warning eyes toward her. 

“No, he knows nothing,” Shepard told her. “And, Garrus, I highly doubt it’s the commander,” she muttered, scowling at the chuckling turian. 

“We can’t break into it. It will kill him. We need to find the code and the frequency they used to place him in stasis,” Liara told her softly. 

Shepard stepped away from the pod and walked toward some nearby buildings. She shivered, remembering the feel of the man inside of the pod. She wasn’t certain that she had been truthful when she told Garrus that the figure in the pod wasn’t the commander. The presence in that pod called to a basic instinct within her. 

They found the first frequency. Cerberus had discovered it before, but she understood it. The Commander….

_She was seeing him again – the Commander. He was shooting reapers with others. This was their final stand. This was where it all had ended for the Prothean race. She watched as one of them fell and the Commander dragged him to safety. She could feel his frustration and anger. She could see determination in his eyes. Even though they were losing and this was the last stand, his eyes still held fire. Behind that determination and fire she could see deep weariness. The fighting had taken its toll on the warrior._

_She watched as he punched in a code that opened a pod. Sadness welled up inside of her as she saw the dead prothean inside. She could see the Commander’s remorse and sorrow at having lost one of his people._

She stared at the monitor even after the vision was done. “I have the code,” Shepard murmured quietly, sadness thick in her voice. 

“Good. I was hoping you would understand that. Files said that Cerberus was still working on it and hadn’t come close to breaking it,” Liara told her. 

“No. They wouldn’t have been able to break it. Human minds weren’t meant for that message,” Shepard murmured. 

“We need to find the frequency now,” Liara reminded them. 

“Shepard, what did it show you?” Garrus asked quietly as everyone moved off to the side. 

“Him. I saw him in that vision. He had just lost one of his people and mourned the lost. Garrus, it was the Commander in that vision,” she muttered with a shake of her head. 

Garrus stared at her and had to keep his thoughts to himself. Life was never normal with Shepard, and it wouldn’t surprise him at all if the Commander was the survivor in that stasis pod. 

Shepard looked at James and nodded to him. He took the lead out of the building. As everyone expected, they met up with Cerberus agents as they left the building. As quickly as they could they cleared the area. Liara looked at her scans and motioned to another building. 

Shepard walked in front of the terminal and again it was the Commander. 

_The Commander stood there speaking with a VI, and she could feel his frustration. Words were spoken; words that no leader would ever want to utter. He’d ordered everyone to the stasis pods though he knew that quite a few of his people would never wake. She felt remorse for him._

_She watched as he took a final look around before lying in his own pod. She watched the lid close and darkness surround him. He was left alone for thousands of years before being discovered._

She knew the frequency they used. Now it was time to set him free. She glanced at Liara and said, “I have the frequency. We can set him free, now.” 

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooo~

Shepard stood back with Garrus as Liara and James opened the lid. Her eyes widened and her breath hissed out as she stared at the person who had been haunting her dreams. The Commander lay there, slowly coming out of stasis. 

“Shepard, is that…?” Garrus asked quietly as he stepped closer to her. 

“Yes it is,” she muttered with a grimace. 

Her grimace turned to a scowl as the turian at her side started chuckling.

She watched as the Commander’s eyes snapped open. She barely realized that they were too close to the pod when his energy shot out at them. She blocked it, waiting for his next move. She didn’t help him when he stumbled out of the pod, nor did she go to him as he stared around at the remainder of his empire. Horror and remorse filled his features as he stood taking everything in.

Shepard watched him. He was the same man from her visions… The same one who had given her pleasure countless times in her dreams. She knew him only as Commander. She glanced at Liara and saw her eyes light up. James kept his gun drawn, which she didn’t mind. Garrus was watching the Prothean carefully, his focus returning to her every once in a while. 

Yes, she was half Prothean. Yes, she’d met her father when she died. These facts still didn’t tell her what this man was like. She hoped he was like the other protheans she had met when she died, but she wasn’t holding her breath. 

She didn’t need to touch him to know what he was feeling. For a second there was hopelessness, but that quickly diminished. “Shepard, it’s been fifty thousand years for us, but for him…” Liara trailed off with a pointed look. 

She took hesitant steps toward him. She didn’t get close enough to touch. She couldn’t and wouldn’t. This man called to a primitive part of her. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She didn’t step back when he turned abruptly; but when he reached out to touch her, she stopped him. Using her biotics she threw him away; far enough that he couldn’t touch her. 

“Commander?” Liara questioned. 

“I’ll handle it, Liara,” Aaran stated, never taking her eyes off of the man. 

**“Who are you?”** the Commander asked. Shepard knew he was talking in prothean from the way James and Liara were looking at him. 

**“You’ve been in stasis for fifty thousand years,”** Shepard told him. She took a step back when he reached out to touch her.

 **“I only wish to read you so that I understand your language,”** the prothean snapped coldly as he glared at her. 

“James, allow him to touch you,” she ordered. 

“Commander?” James asked and looked at her cautiously. 

“He won’t harm you and if he does, I’ll kill him. He wishes to learn our language,” she explained, never taking her eyes off the man. The Commander’s eyes turned to James as he neared, a disgusted look crossing his face. Aaran smirked and wondered for a moment what he was thinking. The desire to know wasn’t strong enough to allow him to touch her. 

**“If it’s to learn his language, use him,”** she told him, meeting his cold eyes unflinchingly. She smirked as his eyes narrowed and he took another step toward her. She allowed her biotics to flow over her hand and smiled lethally at him. **“Try it! I dare you, Commander!”** she hissed. 

“Shepard, what’s going on?” Liara asked as she moved up beside the Commander. 

“Nothing important,” she murmured as she watched the Commander reach out and lightly touch Vega. She wondered if Vega would see anything from the prothean. It didn’t take long before he stepped away, looking at Vega with contempt. 

She wasn’t surprised when the prothean turned to her. “How many others?” he asked. She could see slight hope in his eyes, as well as despair. 

“You’re the only one,” Aaran answered and watched him carefully. “I take it you understand our language now?”  

“Yes. I learnt the physiology and nervous systems of humans well enough to understand your language,” he answered calmly. “Though you are different. You have the facial features of a human, but there is more to you. It’s marked on your DNA.” 

“You’re right. There is more and that is not for you to know,” Shepard answered with a scowl. “It’s enough for you to know I am an hybrid.” 

Aaran eyes narrowed when he growled low, his eyes becoming mere slits. “Primitives… I am surrounded by them. Human, asari, turian and whatever you are. Now the primitives are cross-breeding,” he spat. 

Aaran chuckled darkly at his words. Primitive, yet his was the extinct race; not hers. She couldn’t believe his attitude. 

_*Shepard, whatever you did down there has gotten Cerberus’ attention,*_ Cortez radioed.She turned to the prothean. “We need to leave here. If Cerberus gets their hands on you, they will study you, dissect you and probably implant you with reaper tech. So do you want to join us or stay here?” she asked with a raised brow. 

“You’re fighting the reapers?” the Commander asked. 

“Yes. I’m gathering an army to fight them,” she answered. 

“Then I’ll join you…for now,” he answered arrogantly. What she wanted to do was knock the arrogance out of him. Yet the prothean part of her wanted to see if he was as dominant as he seemed. There was no way in hell she was going to listen to that voice. 

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooo~

“Shepard, can you come down to the cargo hold?” Aaran rolled her eyes when she heard the call. The prothean was placed in the cargo hold, and she wondered what had happened. With a weary sigh she left her room and went to see what was going on. 

She walked into the room and noticed four men armed with guns. 

“I was trying to make the room more comfortable for him, but these guys won’t let me near him,” Liara explained, looking at the prothean worriedly. 

Shepard shook her head. She should have expected this. “We had to dust off the books to find out what to do. It says to treat all new species as hostel,” one of the men explained. 

Amusement flowed through her and she began chuckling. “I don’t think our guest is going to be a problem,” she murmured as she took a few steps closer, still out of physical range. “Will he?” she asked the prothean pointedly. 

“That depends on you,” he answered. She should have known better. She should have known that she was too close. She should have known he would be quick, but she hadn’t prepared for it. She felt his grip on her waist, his mind entering hers like a brush of silk. His rumbling voice pulsed through her body, touching places no hand could ever reach. “I sense fear, anxiety…interesting…” he trailed off, his eyes meeting hers and holding them. 

She narrowed her eyes and growled low, breaking the hold he had on her. **“You don’t have my permission to read me, Javik. Don’t touch me again,”** she growled, standing her ground.

 **“Yet you read me as I read you… Aaran,”** he answered with amusement.  **“And we shall see about whether I touch you or not, Aaran.”** Her eyes narrowed, not sure whether it was a threat or a prothean thing. **“A name of high standing - daughter of a leader.  Interesting. Where is he now?”** Javik demanded with a hiss. 

**“Dead,”** she growled.

 **“Half-prothean, half-human, yet still a primitive no matter that you carry the prothean DNA,”** he stated with a condescending smirk. 

**“I may be primitive, but my people are still fighting. Where are yours, Javik?”** she asked with cold eyes. 

**“You think your people have a better chance than mine did, hybrid?”** he asked with a twist of his mouth. She could see and hear the disbelief, but didn’t care. 

“Shepard? Is it safe for…” Liara trailed off when Aaran turned toward her. It was rare for Shepard to wear a sneering smile.  

“Yeah. Just a difference of opinion,” Aaran muttered. Liara raised a brow, but didn’t say a word.

“What do you mean ‘sense’?” Liara asked curiously. Her eyes were lit with unbridled interest in learning about the prothean before them. 

“All life provides clues for those who can read them. It is in your cells… your DNA. Experience is a biological marker,” Javik explained. 

“Is that similar to what you can do, Aaran?” Liara asked, looking at her curiously. 

“I’m not sure if it’s the same, but I see things when I touch someone,” Aaran told her with a shrug. 

“Yes, it is exactly the same. You just haven’t learnt how to use your ability properly,” Javik stated with a disgusted look. 

“Like your beacons?” Liara asked. 

Javik stilled, her words like cold water on his skin. He hissed and turned toward them. “Yes, which…” he said, moving closer to them to determine who had touched one. He should have known it would have been her. Anger, resentment and frustration raced through him. “You found one. You saw it all – our destruction, our warning… Why weren’t they heeded? Why didn’t you prepare for the reapers?” he nearly shouted. His fury at the stupidity of these people was at an all- time high. He couldn’t believe they had the answers, the warnings and did nothing. Everything his race had done to warn the next generation was all for naught. It was like a blow to the stomach. 

He was taken off guard when he felt Aaran’s hand upon his cheek. For a split second he thought about shoving her away, but that disappeared with the visions that she showed him. She had tried. She had fought to make their Council believe. She had stopped the first invasion, then stopped a race working for the reapers. Her Council had called her a liar, not believing her words because they couldn’t _see_ what she saw. He had to admit she had tried, but she didn’t have enough power to make them bow to her. Her own people keep turning to her, expecting her to save them. His eyes widened as he saw what else she saw from the beacon. He had left his mark upon it without realizing it. She had seen him. 

He saw her speak with her father, Aaran, and saw pride in his eyes. That made him wonder about this commander. He needed to learn more about her if Aaran looked at her with pride. 

Shepard stepped back, lowering her hand. She didn’t say a word, but watched Javik. She had seen when he entered his stasis pod, and promised he would be more than what was expected of him.    

Javik’s eyes narrowed when he thought of her name – Aaran. He had seen her namesake in memory shards, and knew him as a great warrior and leader. He was the one who’d come up with idea of stasis pods and had scientists working on it. He was considered one of their strongest, fiercest leaders. Javik had seen him enter his stasis pod and wondered for a while if the man had lived. When Javik was given the order that he was to lead their people, he knew he hadn’t. Now this commander carried that name. 

“You delayed the extinction,” he commented and saw her nod. His focus turned to the asari as she moved forward. 

“Now we have your plans for the device. We’re going to build it,” Liara told him, bringing up the schematic on the screen. 

“Device?” Javik queried. He moved closer to the screen and looked at the diagram there. 

“The weapon your people reated,” Liara answered, uncertainty in her voice when she realized Javik didn’t know what she was talking about. “I’d hoped you could tell us how to finish it,” she murmured. 

Javik bowed his head. They had a way to defeat the reapers and he couldn’t help them. He was a warrior, not a scientist. He had heard stories of the device, but that was all. The sad part was that they may not be able to finish it because of him. 

“We never finished it. It was too late,” he murmured sadly. 

“Then I take it you don’t know anything about the catalyst?” Aaran asked. 

“No. I’m a soldier not a scientist. Skilled in one art – killing,” he told them.

“What was your mission?” Liara asked. 

Javik turned and faced Aaran, and he gazed at her squarely in the eye. He wanted to see if she knew this about her own people. “Among our people there were…avatars of many traits… bravery, strength, cunning. A single exemplar for each,” he stated watching her closely; wondering if she knew what her father told her. 

“Which are you?” Aaran asked. She remembered her father saying those words to her, but never understood or asked for clarification. Victor had been the name he had given her.  

“The embodiment of vengeance. I am the anger of a dead people, demanding blood be spilled for the blood we lost. Only when the last reaper has been destroyed will my purpose be fulfilled. I have no other reason to exist,” Javik vowed. He stared into the water. “Those who share my purpose become allies. Those who do not - become casualties.”

Aaran moved closer to him. “I wish it was that cut and dry, but it’s not. This isn’t fifty thousand years ago. I plan on defeating the reapers, that I promise you. We have to do it our way, however; not the way your people would have,” she told him, keeping her voice firm. 

“How far are you willing to go?” Javik asked, his eyes narrowed into slits - challenging her. 

“I’ll do what I think needs to be done,” Aaran bit out. 

Javik invaded her space and challenged her. He could smell that she was telling the truth, but he wondered if she was really ready to do what was necessary. “What is your avatar, Aaran?” he asked with a challenging smile. 

“You already know it, Javik. And you already know it was given to me. I didn’t give it to myself,” she snapped, backing away from him. 

“Yes, and hopefully you live up to the avatar given you… Victory,” Javik murmured before turning away from them. 

“I have a few questions if you don’t mind,” Liara started. 

“While you get the information you want from him, I’ll be elsewhere,” Aaran muttered before walking out of the room. Javik watched her leave the room and wondered for a moment if he should answer the asari’s questions. She was naïve in her thinking and too soft in her emotions. He didn’t think she could handle any of his answers. He decided he would answer them for a short time and then send her away. 

Liara smirked as she watched Javik. She might as well not be in the room. She kept the smirk to herself. The prothean hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of the commander. She shouldn’t have been surprised. She was leery about asking the questions without Aaran here. 

“Ask your questions, asari!” Javik bit out. 

Liara sighed and began her interview. She could see that she barely had the prothean’s attention. She decided to ask only a few minor questions and then have Aaran go with her the next time. 

“You said there are avatars? What exactly is that?” Liara asked curiously. 

Javik rolled his eyes. If she hadn’t understood the first time he explained it, there was no way she would now. With that one question he knew there would be no intelligent questions forthcoming. “Weren’t you listening before, Asari? If not I would suggestion you improve on your listening skills before asking any more questions,” Javik explained as if she was a child. He smirked when her eyes narrowed. It didn’t surprise him when she stormed out of his room. 

“I’ll have the commander with me when I ask more questions,” Liara warned him. She wanted to see his reaction. She kept her face straight as the prothean stiffened, his eyes taking on a look she had never seen before. 

Javik hesitated at her threat. If she brought the commander maybe he would learn more about her. He flashed back to the commander’s face, the feel of her touch on his face and the memories he had seen. He wanted to see more… needed to…

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 15**

Aaran sat up in her cabin doing paperwork. There wasn’t much, but most of it had to do with Javik. Unfortunately, information regarding the newest addition to the ship was scarce. She knew she would have to see him again to get the information and that was the last thing she wanted to do. 

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. Her gaze drifted to the shards that had been found on the planet where her mother and father had met. She shook her head in irritation. She didn’t have time to see her father in memories. She needed to fight a war, not wallow in his memories. Without another glance at the shard she left her room. 

Her stomach growled as she rode the elevator down to the crew deck. She smiled seeing the area empty. It was late. She would be able to think without drawing the attention of the crew. Quickly she grabbed herself some food. It wasn’t as good as Gardner’s, but it would do. Her taste in food had changed greatly since Mindoir. She’d always eaten normal human food – veggies and cooked meat. Now she needed her meat raw, and fish was her absolute favorite dish.

She heard the doors to the elevator open as she sat down. She didn’t need to look around to know who had arrived. Her body went on alert as his scent came to her. 

Javik moved into what the people on this ship called the mess hall. He wondered if he would find food for himself here. He hesitated when he saw Aaran sitting alone at one of the tables. She was looking over a datapad. He wondered if she even noticed him. She wouldn’t be much of a commander if she didn’t. 

He sighed. He could survive off this food, but it wasn’t what he normally would have eaten. He would have to speak with her to have food brought onto the ship. He wondered if she needed the same food as him and hadn’t yet realized it. Grabbing his plate with a curl of his lip he walked over to her. Her gaze flicked to him, but his attention was on the food she was eating. It seemed the commander did need the same food as him. She was picking at some raw meat on her plate. 

Shepard glanced up when she felt him near. “Need something, Javik?” she asked and noticed that he was eyeing her raw meat. She glanced at his plate and wrinkled her nose in disgust. 

“Where did you get the meat?” he asked. She didn’t bother answering, but motioned for him to follow her. She took him on a short tour of the kitchen. She bit off a chuckle when he dumped his food down the trash and grabbed some meat. 

“While you are here, I need to ask you a few questions,” Aaran stated as she walked back over to her own food. She was surprised at how lightly he moved. It wasn’t as good as Thane’s or Kasumi’s stealth, but it was more than she had expected. 

“What do you wish to know?” he asked with a wary look. 

“Your military background and fighting style, to begin. I also should know how well developed your biotics are so I know who I can pair you up with and who would be a hindrance if I used them with you,” Aaran told him without looking up.  

Javik reached out to touch her, but she backed away with a warning hiss. “It would be easier to show you than to tell you,” he snapped, annoyed that she was so against sharing information the proper way. 

Shepard growled low at his attitude. He spoke to her as if she was a child. It pissed her off. Liara had told her what his people had been like. They normally dominated every species they met. With a shake of her head she took his hand, startling him. He gave her the answers she wished, nothing more. She didn’t know how he was able to limit the rush of information to what she needed to know. She could see great concentration on his face as he shared with her. As soon as he could hold a gun his military training had begun. When he hit maturity he was sent to fight. It had become his life from then on. 

She let his hand go and made some notes on the datapad. She didn’t say a word about his childhood training. She would have done the same in their position. She didn’t glance at him again, nor did she acknowledge when he took a seat across from her. 

“Something else you wanted, Javik?” she asked, without raising her eyes to him. 

Javik watched her carefully. He’d caught glimpses of her life. They’d seemed like fresh memories, but he knew they weren’t. Still they fueled his curiosity. He wasn’t sure what race it had been, but there was an attack - a fight. She had killed five aliens and then the memory stopped as she sat in a medical facility.   

“Who were they?” Javik asked, his voice more polite than it had been since they’d met.

“Batarians. They wiped out my town. Those that weren’t killed were taken as slaves to be sold or used,” Aaran growled. 

Javik narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he thought of what her comments. His people had taken over many different races, but they never used or sold them. “What happened to them?” 

“I killed five as you saw. The Alliance killed those who remained, but many still escaped. After my rescue the Alliance started training me in combat. When I came of age I joined them,” she told him.

Javik stayed silent, watching her closely. He still didn’t know what to make of her. 

“Is there anything else you want to know?” she asked brusquely as picked up her datapad. He could see that she was ready to leave. Her body tensed and her commander’s mask slid into place. He considered the look one of a leader - one that she needed to wear. 

“No,” he stated, rising to his feet and walking away without another word. He’d received some of the answers he wanted. He would have to bide his time to get more information. 

Shepard watched him walk away with a shake of her head. She didn’t understand him at all, even though they shared the same race. He was cold, calculating and considered everyone on the ship inferior to him. She thought he was an ass, plain and simple. 

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooooo~

Their next mission was to attend a conference that was to be held on the ship. She was leery about it. There would be krogan, turian and salarian diplomats in attendance. That was scary. The krogans hated the turians and salarians. The salarians distrusted the krogans, thinking them brutes. And the turians… she wasn’t sure how they felt about any of it. 

She could see a nightmare happening on this very ship. But she had no choice if she wanted to win this war. She needed all the races, not just some of them. 

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

She sat in the mess hall after meeting with the diplomats. She had been right - it had been hell. But her ship was still in one piece, so it didn’t matter. 

Now she had a few things to do. She’d agreed to help Victus’ son. Then she needed to see if the rumors were true that the rachni were back. Lastly, the krogan ambassador had asked her to secure a few krogan females. With them she could get the krogans to help her. But she didn’t think just securing the females would be enough. The ambassador wanted a genophage cure. 

She wasn’t sure that she could carry through with the cure. She didn’t trust Reave. He would likely bring the krogans to war once more. She would need to think carefully before she made her decision. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone sat down at her side. She smiled when she saw Garrus. “So how did it go?” he asked. 

“The ship is still in one piece and there are no dead bodies, so I’d say it went well,” Aaran answered with a grin. 

“And where is the prothean?” Garrus asked with a questioning look. 

“Who knows? Somewhere onboard the ship,” she answered with a shrug. 

She leaned back in her chair and her attention snapped to Javic as he entered the mess hall. She was surprised to see him here. This was the first time since he’d arrived that she saw him in the mess hall during the day shift.   

She noticed that he was very careful not to touch anything and she understood that feeling. Traces of the old crew still lingered. It was for this reason that she avoided Life Support. She didn’t want to know what Thane had been feeling. He had been a good friend, but he had been very private. He allowed her to read him a few times, but she’d never been comfortable with doing it.

“What?” she asked Javik cautiously when she noticed that his attention was focused on her. She could just imagine what the prothean was thinking. 

Javik watched the commander. He noticed how relaxed she was with the turian. For a few moments he thought they were joined, but her pheromones didn’t telegraph that fact. His eyes narrowed at the thought of the commander being with anyone. She was already a hybrid, her genes diluted by a primitive race. He didn’t understand why she would want to create even more inferior offspring. She should be with a more appropriate mate so that she would have superior offspring, worthy of her prothean blood.  

“Nothing, Aaran,” he stated before leaving. He had hoped to get her alone to learn more, but it didn’t seem possible at the moment. 

Garrus raised a brow ridge. “He’s calling you by your first name?” he asked thoughtfully as he watched the prothean leave. 

“He’s been using it ever since he discovered it. If it’s not Aaran, it’s Victory, the avatar my father gave me,” she answered tiredly.

Garrus sat back in his chair, hiding his smirk. He wondered how this was going to play out. Shepard had been having interesting dreams about this prothean since her fight with the collectors and now he was here in the flesh. He knew this war had just gotten more interesting, especially for his friend. He couldn’t wait to see what happened. Finally she could stop mourning for a lost mate. She would never admit she missed Pallin, but he knew she did. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooo~

Aaran stepped off the Normandy onto the Citadel. She had tried getting Javik to see the Citadel, but he had been against it. She could understand, but she thought it would have been good for him. Garrus was off to see how his people were doing that were on the Citadel. The rest of the crew had departed. 

Her first stop was at the hospital. Thane wanted to see her. Kaidan did, as well, but she didn’t know if she could see him without doing more damage. 

She was surprised at how busy the hospital was, though she shouldn’t have been. She spotted Thane right away as he practiced his fighting. “I don’t think the window will hit back,” she commented when he didn’t notice her right away. 

“Siha, you got my message?” he queried. 

“Yeah, how have you been?” she asked quietly. She already knew. She could smell it - his days were coming to an end. It actually hurt to think of him dying without being in a fight. He should not waste away in bed. 

“Some days are better than others,” he answered. She was surprised to hear him admit to any weakness. 

They took a seat. Aaran wasn’t sure what to say to him. It hurt to see him sick. He’d seemed so healthy before even though she knew that as a lie. Now his green scales weren’t as vibrant, and his large black eyes were dull, but calm. Then there was his voice… the raspy quality that it used to have was more pronounced. 

“Did the doctors say how long you have?” she asked quietly. 

“I’ve been to several doctors. My favorite gave me three months to live nine months ago,” Thane answered with a sad smile. 

“No cure yet?” she asked as sadness filled her. 

“No, nor do I expect to live to see a cure,” he told her. “Why are you here?” 

“I got your message so I came. There is one other in the hospital that asked me to see him, but I’m still debating. Actually I should. He’s in the perfect place if I do see him,” she answered with a smirk. 

“Still the same,” Thane chuckled. “What did he do to you?”

“Kaidan Alenko. I met him once again on Horizon while we were going after the collectors and just before I recruited you. He was on my team when I defeated Saren. Let’s just say there was a disagreement,” she muttered with a grimace.

“Does he know about your heritage?” Thane asked. 

“Yes. He knew before my resurrection changed me so much,” she sighed with a shake of her head. “But enough about me. How’s Kolyat doing?” 

“He’s doing good. He visits every day. We are getting along,” he answered with a smile. “He asked me a few times if he will meet you again.” 

“Why?” she asked with a confused look. 

“Shepard….” he grinned, giving her a pointed look. He didn’t have to answer. Commander Shepard of the Normandy was famous and lots of people wanted to meet her. She usually rolled her eyes and tried to avoid them. 

“And how do you feel about that?” she asked warily. 

“You gave him someone to look up to. While he was doing his probation he would take care of things like he thought you would,” Thane answered with amusement. 

“And he’s not in jail? Wow. I think I should be taking notes from him,” she joked. “If it’ll make you happy and means that much to him, let me know when and I’ll be there. We are docked here for another two days. And if he’s really nice I’ll take him on a tour of the Normandy,” she muttered with a small smile. Seeing him smile made it all worth it. 

She watched as he blinked, a grin slowly spreading across his face. “And you’re coming, too. There is no way you are leaving me alone with a teenager,” she warned him. 

He rose to his feet and she followed suit. “It would be an honor, Siha. Come back in an hour and he should be here,” he murmured before bowing. 

Aaran grinned and walked away, heading to Kaidan’s room. She touched the panel for the door to open and almost walked away again. She wasn’t quick enough. She’d just turned when the door opened to show Kaidan and Udina talking. 

They turned to her. “Sorry to interrupt,” she murmured and walked away without another word. A part of her was relieved and another part was furious with herself. She could see that they were finished talking, but she didn’t want to get into another fight with the major. 

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard stood on the CIC deck with Thane and Kolyat at her side. “Kolyat, did you want a tour?” she asked with a raised brow. She laid a hand on Thane’s shoulder, knowing he would never say if he had a problem. So she cheated by reading him. He glanced at her and then shook his head. He knew what she was doing. 

“Siha, that’s cheating,” he murmured. 

“Oh well, live with it,” she smirked. She noticed Kolyat’s curious look. “By touching him I’m reading him. He can’t hide how he feels. It’s the same as when I touched you right after disarming you when you decided to play assassin,” she explained.

She followed them to the elevator. Their first stop was the mess hall. It was empty as everyone was on the Citadel. Thane walked over to his old room and she followed, wondering what he had planned. She caught him lightly touching the table. She felt Kolyat beside her. He looked directly in her eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder. She was surprised, considering the kid knew what would happen. Overwhelming grief spilled into her; followed by anger and frustration at the thought that his father was going to leave him soon. He wanted his father to live for a lot longer and he was having trouble accepting that he would be gone soon. 

The tour wasn’t long. She could already see Thane tiring. His green scales had paled considerably. The doctor met them in Thane’s former room with an oxygen mask. She could feel Kolyat’s fear surround her. She laid a soothing hand on his arm as he folded them, silently praying. She watched as Thane lay on the bed without his usual grace. Sadness welled up in her. She couldn’t believe the man she used to know had fallen so quickly. 

                                                                ~ooooooooooo~

She’d been on the ship for hours, basically hiding in her room. It hit her hard to see Thane reduce to his current condition. He said he accepted it, but she knew better. He hadn’t. She saw that when they boarded the Normandy for the tour. 

She planned on staying up in her room for few hours more, but someone walked in. Her eyes narrowed when she saw it was Javik. “What can I do for you, Javik?” she asked, keeping her voice cold. 

“ **You reek of the sick** ,” he hissed with a sour look. He didn’t want to speak this odd language when there was someone who understood his native language. 

“ **What is your point** ,” she muttered with a confused look. 

“ **Why do you mourn one who is dying? You don’t have time for that. He’s going to die. Accept it. There are more important things to worry about** ,” he answered in his domineering way.

“ **If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have the control I have now and you would be dead** ,” she growled, stalking toward him, her eyes narrowing. “ **He’s a good friend and I will mourn him when he dies. You have no right to tell me what to do**.” She hissed the last words inches from him.

Javik moved quickly, pinning her. He growled low in warning. This human was too soft in her thinking. The worst part was that she awakened long-forgotten emotions in him. Having another prothean so near wasn’t as stressful as being surrounded by aliens. She had the same scent as his people and familiar eyes. It was like looking at one of his own, until he took in the rest of her face. Then there was the sharing of thoughts and emotions with a touch. No other on the ship could do it, yet she rarely allowed it. Finally, there was the sound of his language on her lips; her husky voice speaking a language that he missed hearing.

He smirked when her eyes narrowed further. He wasn’t surprised in the least. She was acting like a prothean. There were two leaders on this ship, and they needed to determine who was in control. He knew he couldn’t be the leader, but he could control _her_ ….

He snarled when he realized where his thoughts were turning. That was something he didn’t want. He was vengeance that was his one goal. Mating with her would only confuse the situation. He caught her shocked look and noticed that he was rumbling his pleasure. If he was doing that then he was doing more… He was giving off a scent, telling her he was interested. He couldn’t believe his body was betraying him. He was a soldier! He had control over his body and would not succumb to lust.   

She didn’t know how or what happened, but she found herself pinned against the closest wall; her hands immobile. She glared at him but stopped when a scent came to her. She wasn’t familiar with it, but it called to her; made her muscles quiver and the most intimate part of her body clench. She met his eyes with her own and a warning growl escaped as she shoved him away with her biotics. She stood there confused as he walked away, scowling.   

   


	18. Chapter 18

Shepard sighed with annoyance. She had just left Garrus, his words still ringing in her ears. He had reminded her once more that she needed to take the prothean on a mission instead of avoiding him.  

With a scowl she hit the button for the lower deck and Javik’s room. After what happened the last time they were alone she really didn’t want to do this. But as commander it was her job and she needed to see how he was at fighting. She couldn’t avoid him, no matter how much she would have preferred it. 

“ **Is there something you want, Aaran?** ” Javik asked with a questioning look. He knew she had been avoiding him. It wasn’t hard to figure out. 

“ **We are going after the Primearch’s son. I want you on this mission,** ” she ordered coldly. She was about to walk away, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened. This wasn’t what she wanted. 

“ **Who else is accompanying us?”** Javik asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. Her scent surrounded him and all he wanted to do was purr. When he first saw her he’d thought that she was more human than prothean, but now he knew that wasn’t true. With every touch her prothean side called to him, challenging him. 

**“Debating between Garrus and James,”** Aaran murmured, tugging her arm out of his grip. She forced herself not to rub the area where he had touched her. She could still feel the heat of his skin against her arm.

 **“Why not both?”** Javik asked and he took a step back when her warning scent came to him. He grinned smugly at her when she looked at him startled. She was like a child with no knowledge of her species. As the last prothean it was his job to make sure she had the information that she needed. His smug grin grew as he walked over to a nearby basin and idly washed his hands.

“ **It isn’t necessary to have three on this mission,”** Aaran answered as she walked over to him. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and secretly trying to get even a hint of his scent. She hated that it affected her so much, but to her it felt like home. The dreams hadn’t been wrong about him yet. He was the same man from her dreams, physically and mentally. That alone played havoc with her emotions.

Aaran’s thought were disrupted by the sound of Javik’s voice. 

“ **I heard you destroyed a race called the collectors and that they we allied with the reapers** ,” Javik commented, watching intently. “ **Show me,** ” he ordered. 

Panic flowed through her. She didn’t want to touch him. She didn’t want him to see. She took a step back and then realized what she’d done. With a sigh she took a step toward Javik. She really didn’t want to do this, but he had asked and she couldn’t turn her back on him. 

Javik was surprised when she moved closer to him after moving away. He could smell the fear and apprehension coming from her body. He could feel it in the air surrounding her. He moved closer than necessary, enjoying the scent of her escalating fear. He had to fight down a purr, showing his pleasure. He’d decided to be her teacher, and he would not fail. He ignored the hand she held out and brought his forehead down to hers. Her shock flowed through him and he grinned. Her challenging scent rose as her eyes turned a bright yellow, contracting into slits. He rumbled his approval as he laced one hand through her hair and started probing her mind. 

“ **Show me,”** he commanded, making sure she felt the rumble of his voice.  

_Flashes of protheans, but they weren’t the same. They looked slightly different as they surrounded her. He knew these were the collectors. He watched as she battled them, taking them out in anger. He could feel the rage surrounding her as she fought them, and her sadness at having to kill them. He wondered why._

He dug deeper to find his answer. He thought he would have to fight her, but he found it with ease. He didn’t understand why it was so easy, and then the answer came to him. She didn’t know how to block out unwanted information or send only what knowledge that was needed. She’d never been taught. No one could teach her. Her mind was an open book for him if he wished to take the opportunity. 

He knew why it bothered her. She believed herself different than others. He saw her childhood - how she was not human, but looked like them. He saw her struggle as more of her prothean side appeared. She was lonely, wanting someone like herself, but didn’t realize it. He was awed that she didn’t know this. 

He focused on her knowledge of the collectors. They had been his people, but altered over time. They were shells of the once great Prothean Empire - mindless shells. 

_…growls of passion fill the air. Cries from a female matched the males. A musky scent filled the air, and another scent echoes, calling for its mate._

_She looks up and sees…._

Shepard stumbled back from Javik before he could see more. She shoved him back so hard that he hit the wall behind him. “ **That was not for you to see** ,” she hissed. 

Javik stood there dazed for a moment. The feelings of passion still possessed him. She had been bonded to the one he sensed. He could tell by the pleasure they had given each other. It was an intimate moment between bonded mates, filled with emotions. He had felt the bond, felt the answer as the two bonded. It had been a long time since he’d felt the call of a bonding between two protheans. He wondered who the male in her memories had been. He wished he could touch her again, just to see happier times of his people. 

 “ **I could teach you how to control what you give when sharing** ,” Javik offered. He smirked. It didn’t matter what she answered. He was going to teach her whether she liked it or not.  

“ **I’ll think about it,** ” Shepard answered over her shoulder as she nearly rushed to the door. She had to force herself not to run when she left. She didn’t glance back at the door. Fear filled her. She hoped he hadn’t seen whose face belonged to the individual in the vision. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Garrus and Javic were at the shuttle when Shepard arrived. She passed by Javik, letting out a low warning growl that no human could hear. Her eyes narrowed when his gaze met hers. She wondered for a moment if he would follow her lead down on the planet or if she would have a hard time with him. She hoped that he would listen to her commands. 

Garrus witnessed the look of challenge that passed between the two party members. He hoped the prothean listened or this mission would be hell. He was surprised to see the challenging look; people rarely challenged Aaran. Most feared her with good reason, especially when she was a mood like her current one.

He wondered if it would be possible to get these two together or not. They acted as though they hated each other. Strange scents filled the air, but it was impossible for him to tell if it was from fury or arousal.  

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran had to grudgingly admit that Javik was an excellent team member. He’d had her back quite a few times. When Garrus couldn’t cover her, Javik took up the position. When it came time to save the primarch’s son, they actually worked well together. She was surprised. She’d thought for sure that Javik would balk at being ordered around since he was as much a commander as she. 

“ **His death was a noble one,** ” Javik stated as he moved beside Aaran and stared down at the crater. 

“Yes it was. He did what was needed and redeemed himself from his earlier mistakes,” Aaran murmured with a thoughtful look at the large hole where the primarch’s son now lay. She was surprised that he would willingly give his own life to right his wrongs. 

Javik stood beside Aaran, his gaze on the turian. He didn’t understand what the turian found so amusing, but didn’t bother questioning it. His gaze turned to Aaran taking in a deep breath. Her scent came to him easily. She reminded him of his people so much. It was lonely being the only remaining prothean. The one that was part prothean was still learning what it meant to be like him, and he would make sure that she understood what it meant.

He followed her and the turian to the shuttle. He was surprised at her competence on the field. He hadn’t expected that from a person raised by humans. He shouldn’t be surprised, however, given that she was prothean. Her genes were far superior and gave her an added benefit that none of these other races could ever achieve.  

He took a seat away from her when they boarded the shuttle. He listened to her and the turian banter with each other. He scowled as he remembered a time when he used to be that lighthearted. While he had given up hope, she still clung to hers. He thought it was futile that she kept her hope. The Reapers weren’t going to be defeated easily and she would lose many people. Yet she sat there as if there wasn’t a war raging around them. 

                                                                                ~oooooooooooooo~

Javik lay on his bed, sleep finally claiming him. He needed this rest. He was still recovering from being in stasis. It would take time before he was back to the way he was, but he wasn’t going to allow it to stop him from going on missions. His eyes drifted shut…

_The sky was clear, a sultry voice called him, luring him near. He rumbled his pleasure as he sought out the voice. Darkness covered the light leaving it in blackness. The voice still called to him. He could smell her scent. It was one he was becoming used to._

_He stepped further into the trees and snapped his teeth when she leapt at him. His first reaction was to throw her off, but that quickly changed as her tongue ran along his red frills. Pleasure shot through him - pleasure he hadn’t had in such a long time._

_He gripped her tighter, holding her closer so that she couldn’t get away from him and his desires. He growled his want against her skin, his teeth nipping at her skin. He heard her snarl of displeasure as she struggled in his grip._

**_“Mine,”_ ** _he growled against her skin before piercing her skin, sinking deeply to make sure his mark stayed._

**_“Yours,”_ ** _her voice purred, shooting straight to his aching shaft. He groaned as he reached between their bodies, unsnapping buckles._

“Javik, your readings appear unstable. Should I call for Dr. Chakwas?” EDI asked. 

Javik woke with a start, the VI’s voice breaking his from the dream. He snarled his displeasure, his teeth snapping in the air as he glared around the room. “No!” he snapped. 

“Understood. Logging out,” EDI answered before blinking out of sight. 

Javik looked down at his throbbing arm and hissed. He growled when he saw the four puncture marks from his own teeth.  

                                                                                ~ooooooooo~

Javik walked into the mess hall and stopped. He heard two voices talking quietly. He knew one was Aaran’s and he was pretty sure that the other belonged to Garrus. His eyes narrowed and anger tightened his stomach as he saw them sitting close together, Aaran’s head on the turian’s shoulder. 

His sudden anger froze him in place. He didn’t know what had caused it and didn’t want to, either. A low growl escaped him as he watched the turian lightly stroke her back. Without another word he stormed away. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran lifted her head. “I’m heading to bed. You’re too comfy of a pillow. I’ll definitely fall asleep here if I stay,” she muttered and then a scent came to her. Her gaze turned to toward the elevators, but she saw nothing. She could have sworn she’d just smelled Javik. 

“What is it, Shepard?” Garrus asked with amusement. 

“Thought I caught Javik’s scent,” she answered before giving a half-hearted wave. 

“Hey, Shep, you did smell him. He was here and then left. Seems something has upset him,” Garrus called after her with a grin on his face. He couldn’t wipe off the grin, especially not after seeing the look on the prothean’s face when he had touched Shepard’s back. He thought for sure that Javik would have taken her from him, but he hadn’t. 

                                                                                ~oooooooooo~

Instead of punching the number to her floor she went to the engineering deck and headed to Javik’s room. She wondered what had upset the prothean so much and why Garrus found amusement in it. 

She didn’t need to wait long for Javik to answer her summons. At first she thought she might have awakened him, but he was still in his armor. She wondered vaguely if he was like Garrus, never taking his armor off. 

“Garrus said that you were upset about something,” Aaran commented as she moved into the room, following the prothean over to the basin of water. 

Javik stopped washing his hands and turned to her in shock. He hadn’t thought either of them had noticed that he was there. It made him wonder what the turian was up to. Aaran stood there waiting for him to answer, but he kept silent. She raised a brow wondering why he wouldn’t answer. 

Javik’s eyes narrowed as she took a step closer, her hand reaching out to touch him. He backed away for the first time. He didn’t want her reading him. 

**“What’s wrong, Javik. Usually you reprimand me for not sharing information, but now you back away,”** she commented with humor.

 **“Some things are personal, Aaran,”** Javik hissed, giving her a warning look.

 **“Funny coming from you. You never allow any of my memories be personal,”** Shepard stated coldly as she glared at him. 

Javik stood there with his head bowed. She was right. He had taken what she gave willingly and more. It was wrong, but he needed to know more about Aaran. At first it had been because she carried the name of a high standing person when his race was still dominant. After reacting as he had to seeing the affection between she and Garrus, he didn’t know what to think. 

He knew it was jealously he felt, though it was something he had never experienced before. Not even when he was around his people. It was an emotion he didn’t care for. He would leave her to the turian. He had more important things to do than attempt to take her for a mate. He was Vengeance for his people. His fight against the Reapers was his priority, not Aaran. She couldn’t be allowed to continue clouding his mind. 

He turned his back to her, hoping that she would get the point and leave. “ **Hmm, interesting. Never thought I would meet a prothean who was a coward, but there is a first time for everything,** ” he heard her murmur as she turned toward the door. 

He moved quickly, grabbing her hand. Emotions and memories, flooded him. Memories of her and another turian - their love for one another and their passion. Then he saw she and Vakarian together - the awkwardness and troubles they had because of her change. 

Finally he saw her with another, but she snatched her hand away before he could identify them.   

“ **Who is he?”** Javik asked, his eyes narrowed in warning. 

“ **Not your concern,”** Aaran hissed as she backed away from him.

“ **We will see about that. Tomorrow we will start your training,”** Javik stated with a smirk as she looked at him nervously.

“ **If I have time,”** Aaran said with a shrug. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but it made her nervous. His sudden change in attitude was disconcerting. 

**“If you don’t show then I will go to your cabin,”** Javik told her. He saw her hesitation. **“You need to learn. You are dealing with the remnants of my people. The Reapers have this knowledge now, and there is a chance they will use it to their advantage. You NEED to learn how to block,”** Javik stated adamantly. 

“ **Fine. I’ll meet you tomorrow after my shift,”** Aaran grumbled as she turned to leave. She heard a soft trill behind her. The sound caught her off guard. She’d never heard Javik make that noise before. She turned abruptly and ran directly into him. 

Javik reached out automatically to steady her when she bumped into him. He bit off a moan as he imagined what her body would feel like brushing against his own. He had been watching her walk away, the sway of her hips having a very uncomfortable effect on him. 

He hesitated when a scent came to him. He glanced sharply at her, his eyes narrowing as his own body gave off a scent. He fought not to react as he abruptly let her go. 

He didn’t take a step back like he should. He couldn’t. Not with the challenging scent that she was giving off. It called to him, making him want to show her that he was worthy. Instead he forced himself not to answer that call. 

Aaran wasn’t sure what was happening to her. When he stood so close his scent almost had her purring in pleasure. Then he touched her, his strength holding her firmly in place as he gazed at her intently. It made her neither regions ache. She knew he could smell her desire, but she couldn’t act on her feelings - not in a middle of a war. 

She could feel the heat of his body as he stood close to her. She wanted to reach out and brush her fingers against the frills on his throat. She wanted to feel his hands on her, seeing if he was worthy.

Javik held still as her eyes darkened. He didn’t make a move when she took a step closer. He heard the challenging rumble, one that thrummed through his body. He fought his body’s reaction to her call. When she took a step closer and brushed against his armor he lost what little control he had over his body. It had been a while since he’d had a woman in his arms even before he was placed in stasis. He had been too busy in the last year of the prothean war with the reapers to think about his needs. 

He growled low, the only warning he gave her before he pinned face first on the floor. He didn’t care that his armor was digging into her body. He was about to bite down on the back of her neck, but he had to grin as she bucked him off with ease. He should have known she wouldn’t be easily taken. 

He moved quickly before she could rise fully to her feet. Even on his knees, pinning her soft body against his, he towered over her. He buried his three fingered hand into her hair. He was shocked by the softness of it. He watched her closely as he bent his head to the crook of her neck, taking in her scent. He could smell her desire and feel her confusion. 

Javik shoved her away with a snarl. He caught the subtle change and cringed. The next week was going to be ‘HELL’ as the humans put it.

 **“You need to leave. We’ll do training in the mess hall,”** Javik said quickly as he backed away from her and rushed over to the basin in water. 

He let out a relieved breath as he heard the door to his room close. Though it didn’t really matter - her scent was everywhere in this room. He gave an aggravated growl and washed his hands, trying to get the feel of her off of them.   

                                                                                ~oooooo~

She stormed into her room and tossed off her shirt and pants. She didn’t bother with her usual ritual of showering before going to bed. She needed sleep. She needed to forget the feel of his body pressed against hers and the intoxicating scent that had come from him. Just the thought of that scent had her throbbing once more. 

She groaned, lying back in her bed. She still didn’t understand how she’d lost such control being around him. It made no sense to her. She was never one to lose control. 

Then there was the dreams she’d had about him. Once he had only been known as ‘the Commander’. Now she had a name for the person she’d made loved to countless times in her dreams - long before she knew he was even real.

She growled her frustration, not sure how to proceed. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Javik paced his room, her scent thick upon him. Every breath he took tasted of her. Every movement he made felt like her hands were still upon him. It was torture. He had bedded women before without reacting like this. But she drove him wild without even being with her intimately. Maybe if he gave in to the passion he could wipe her from his mind. 

But if he bedded her, there was a good chance that she would conceive. That was one thing he wouldn’t allow himself to think of until the reapers were defeated. It was just too dangerous. 

He laid down on his cot and closed his eyes. Images of her came to mind, not allowing him to relax. He snarled his frustration and stared up at the ceiling. He knew he wouldn’t be resting for the rest of the night. 

     

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18 

Aaran stayed on CIC going over all available missions. She had changed course settings a few times now and Joker wasn’t please at all. She didn’t blame him for getting upset, but lack of sleep was beginning to affect her decisions. 

She stared at the holographic map, finally pleased her chosen path. She would deal with the rachni first, and then they would go save the female krogan. They would also scan planets for any resources to help in the war effort. Trying to gain support had thus far been sketchy, at best. The turians wouldn’t help until she got the krogans, and the krogans wouldn’t help until she saved the female and produced a cure for the genophage. That last part was no small task. She wasn’t even sure if it was possible. 

She would have to find Mordin somehow and see if he still had the information on the genophage. If anyone could do it, it would be the old salarian.  

                                                                ~ooooooooooooooooooo~

Shepard walked into the mess hall and glanced at the crewmembers already assembled there. She was surprised to see Javik seated with the rest of them. She walked past them to the kitchen and her body stiffened when she neared Javik. She could feel his eyes upon her, watching her every move. 

She noticed Liara perk up as she witnessed Javik’s reaction to the commander’s arrival. She could just imagine the questions the asari would have for her when they were next alone.  

Sometime during her meal she decided to go after the female krogan first and headed to the galaxy map to once more make a correction. She hoped that it would be the last. She had tried putting off the rescue for as long as possible, but Reave was starting to harp and she couldn’t lose him as an ally. So now she had to save the krogan and decide what to do about the cure. She would have to weigh the information carefully before making a final decision. 

With a sigh she took a seat. Seconds later she had company. “So what is going on between you and Javik?” Garrus asked with a grin. 

“Nothing,” Aaran muttered, trying her best not to glance at the person in question. 

“Uh-huh, now try that line on someone who will believe it. I don’t,” Garrus stated with a grin.

Aaran was about to reply when Vega took a seat with them. She noticed that he was watching someone walk from the room. “Wow, I’ve never seen him so focused on anyone. He usually appears bored at the best of times and angry at the worst,” James murmured. 

“Quit hinting. I am not talking about it,” Shepard grumbled. 

“Sure. No problem. But if I were you I would go talk to him. It looked like he had something to say to you,” James told her before leaving the table.   

Shepard glanced to where Javik was sitting. She could see what James meant; Javik had something to say, and she wasn’t sure if she was going to like it. She met his eyes and watched as he rose to his feet and took a seat in the chair that James had just vacated. 

“What is it, Javik?” Aaran asked trying to keep herself under control. 

“That krogan, Reave,” Javik murmured thoughtfully. “He said that you will be finding a cure for the ‘genophage’ if I have the word correct.” 

“What about it?” Shepard asked curiously. She hadn’t been expecting this. She thought he was about to bring up something personal and was pleasantly surprised to see that his query would remain professional. 

“I believe it would be a mistake to cure the genophage with that krogan as the race’s leader,” he stated bluntly. Javik watched her reaction closely. He wouldn’t be surprised if she disagreed with him and cured the genophage. There were times that she was too soft hearted. Once the reapers were gone it wouldn’t be long before the krogan started another war. 

“That is not something that should be discussed here,” Aaran said in a low warning voice. He had to agree, but he also knew that being alone with her would be a mistake given the previous evening. He hadn’t been able to sleep. Her scent had covered him and his room; consuming his thoughts.

“The best place to take that discussion is your quarters, Shepard,” Garrus told her with his poker face in place. He couldn’t hide his amusement. The tension had risen substantially since the prothean joined them. 

“Follow me,” Shepard ordered and moved toward the elevator. Javik followed, expecting the turian to come with them. He was shocked when he didn’t move. 

“Isn’t Garrus coming to discuss this?” Javik asked with narrowed eyes. 

“He will join us in a few moments. He’s probably waiting for the coffee to finished brewing,” Aaran muttered with a shake of her head. 

                                                                                ~oooooooooooo~

Javik stayed on the first landing well away from Aaran as she moved about the room. He was surprised at how sparse her quarters were. He glanced at her desk and noticed a few pictures. She and Garrus were in one, and she was with a different turian in another. That one had white markings. He remembered him from Aaran’s memories. If he remembered correctly that turian had been her mate and died when Shepard killed the first reaper on the Citadel. The remaining pictures seemed to have been taken while she was aboard the original Normandy.

Quite a few books lined her shelves, most military in origin, and model ships filled her remaining cases. The small mementos on the desk were the only indication that anyone lived in the room at all.

He glanced at Aaran as she moved to her computer and checked her messages. He wondered if she would start the conversation or wait for him.

He turned his focus back to the picture of Shepard and her former mate. He remembered her memories very vividly. Javik stopped dead when her scent surrounded him. He hadn’t realized he had moved closer to her.

Aaran leaned back on her desk, the prothean standing right in front of her. She gasped when he reached out, lightly running his hands along her arms. “ **What have you read from Reave?”** she asked, switching to the prothean language. She loved the feel of that speech as it fell from her lips. 

She smiled when she heard Javik’s purr from hearing his native language. She could feel his pleasure and contentedness flow through the contact. 

Javik leaned down, taking in her scent. His eyes widened, his breath quickening at what he smelled. She wasn’t there yet, but so very close. Her heat was coming, not yet calling to him. “ **Your heat comes soon,”** he murmured, his voice deepening to a purr. 

Aaran shivered at the sound of his voice. She didn’t know how to answer. She already knew it was coming. Her monthly had just finished and her previous heat cycle had been six month ago. She wondered how hard it would affect Javik. 

“ **We aren’t here to talk about my cycle,”** she told him. 

Javik stiffened and then relaxed. Through their joined hands, he knew she wasn’t rejecting him, but trying to avoid the inevitable. **“I have not read him, nor will I. You have seen what I have - his need for vengeance, his hate and anger. To give him what he wants would mean war,” Javik told her.**

 **“Yes I know, but I need to find someone who will have answers and I am not sure where he is,”** Aaran muttered, her hands gently squeezing Javik’s before letting go. She was surprised when Javik took a step back without an argument.

Javik walked down away and could think clearer without her scent surrounding him. He wondered who she was searching for. His body relaxed as he heard her footfalls coming close. He worried about the next few weeks and how her heat cycle would affect the crew. There would be bloody fights on a prothean vessel over a woman in heat unless she already had a mate. 

He glanced up when the doors to her room opened. His body stiffened when the scent of the turian came to him. He growled low as a feeling began to build in his stomach, but didn’t move. He’d come to recognize this emotion well since meeting Aaran. It was jealously mixed with the primal urge to keep all males away from her. 

He’d made a decision the previous evening while lying in his bed in a vain attempt to sleep. He couldn’t fight his feelings, and he wouldn’t. He would bed Aaran to get her out of his system and then hopefully his dreams of her would disappear. 

His low growl grew in pitch when her eyes lit up as the turian handed her a cup of coffee. With an angry snarl he stormed out of her room, not able to challenge the turian without angering her. 

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

 

“What was that all about?” Garrus asked looking curiously as he stared at the closed door.

“Who knows and I am not going to go find out,” Aaran bit out, her voice dropping to a growl. 

“You know, Aaran, for a person who claims that she doesn’t want him, you sure act like you do,” Garrus murmured with a knowing look. 

“My body reacts to him,” Aaran stated coldly, halting all further comments. 

Garrus decided to drop it. He knew he had pushed far enough for now. He changed the subject to less hostile territory. “Who are you taking on the mission to free the female krogans?” he asked. 

“Vega and either you or Javik,” Aaran stated. She was still unsure about her crew lineup. Garrus had always had her back, but Javik was one of the best fighters she’d ever seen. 

“Your odds would be better if you took a full group,” Garrus commented. He didn’t want to be left behind. 

“Fine. Tell Javik that he will be joining us on the mission,” Aaran stated before heading to the elevators to speak to James. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooooo~

Javik was surprised to see the turian leave her room so soon. His first reaction was to return to her, but he decided against it. He glanced around the room and sneered – primatives! The dream of waking years in the future when the reapers had returned to deep space had not included this. He never imagined that he would be nearly the last of his kind, relying on primitives to stop the greatest threat in history. 

He scowled as the asari made her way to where he was sitting. She stopped a moment and then left without saying a word. A smirk curled his lips. Now he wouldn’t have to listen to her many questions. He would have peace for a short time. 

His scowl returned when the turian walked over to him. His eyes narrowed when he stopped in front of him. “Shepard is taking a larger team to rescue the krogan. You’re coming,” Garrus told him. 

He nodded. He didn’t want to speak with this man, but he knew he had to. “Who else is coming on the mission?” he asked, trying to hide his irritation. 

“James, you and myself,” Garrus answered with a smirk. He found it amusing that Javik thought he was trying to win Shepard for a mate. 

“When do we land?” Javik ask as he rose to his feet. 

“One hour,” Garrus answered, his nose burning from the warning scent that surrounded the prothean. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran smiled now that the mission was under control. The landing hadn’t been the greatest and Reave hadn’t helped. The krogan had threatened everyone and they almost had to fight their way in. Hus biting remarks to every salarian in sight hadn’t helped, either. Most here wanted him dead, including herself. She regretted that she had to kill Wrex. She wished that he was with her, instead, but there was nothing to be done for it now. One thing she knew for sure, there was no way in hell that she would allow the krogans to procreate while this one was in charge. 

Her mood lightened more when a familiar scent came to her – Mordin. Here was here somewhere, mixed in with all these salarians. 

She followed one of the salarians quietly, wondering where he was taking her. She felt Javik nearby, protecting her back with Garrus. She somehow knew that Javik wouldn’t allow anything to harm her. Deep in her gut she knew this with a certainty. 

Her scowl turned into a huge grin as a salarian turned her way. She stared at Mordin’s familiar face. Her first instinct was to hug the scientist, but she knew it wasn’t the time or place. 

“What are you doing here, Mordin?” Aaran asked with a huge grin. 

Her eyes widened further when Mordin took off his gloves, his eyes holding hers. She was surprised when he held out his bare hand to her. She took it and had her answers. And among the flashes was information that she shouldn’t have. She knew the different projects happening here, some reminding her of Cerberus. 

“You’ve found a cure,” she murmured quietly so no one else would hear. “Mordin, please don’t say a thing about this on the ship. I’ll explain more later.” 

“Of course, Shepard.” Mordin said with a nod. She noticed his attention turn toward Javik, his eyes widening. “Is he…”

“Javik, meet Mordin Solus. Mordin, Javik is a full prothean,” Aaran told him with a chuckle as Mordin whipped out his scanners. 

“Readings same as yours, brain waves slightly different, chemistry slightly different. Interesting. Will need blood when on board the Normandy,” Mordin stated brusquely as he turned his back on the prothean and punched a few commands into the computer. 

The group moved over to a female krogan. She sat there calmly, staring at them; waiting for whatever fate she expected to befall her. Aaran could feel the distrust coming off of her in waves. She was about to move forward to touch the glass but stopped when an explosion rocked the building. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Fighting surrounded them. Every corner turned… every room… more enemies. Cerberus wanted the females, too. Aaran took pleasure in each kill, each Cerberus agent that died. She could see that Javik took pleasure in it, as well. He fought at her side, never leaving her. He protected her, taking a few bullets that should have hit her. Garrus was sniping, and she was so glad that she’d brought him along. The enemies out of their reach fell. James was wading into the fight, using his strength to his advantage as he cleared a path before them. 

Mordin was with the female. She knew that no Cerberus agent would get the female, not with the salarian in tow. He may seem small, but he was deadly in a fight. 

Aaran released a sigh of relief when they finally made it to the last check point. They could finally leave this place… or maybe not. She walked over to the control panel, ready to release the krogan, but stopped. She had heard the warning. At the top of some stairs stood an Atlas mech. Her breath caught and her body stilled as she saw it open fire in her direction. She rolled, quickly getting out of the way. 

She felt the bullets whizzing past her, a few hitting her shield. She tried to roll to safety, but was too far from any cover. She heard a growl, close to a roar, of anger. At first she thought it was Garrus, but the sounds seemed more ferocious than her turian companion could muster. 

She gasped as a bullet broke through her shields, penetrating her armor. She cried out in pain as it tore through her shoulder. Her arm hung limply by her side. She switched to her other hand, aiming her gun, but it felt foreign to her. 

Her eyes widened as she watched Javik turned the Atlas’ attention toward him. A feeling of pride filled her as she watched them fight. Javik was shielded by his biotics, a fierce look on his face as he gave no quarter to the machine. She watched as the glass to the cockpit burst open and the man inside went flying away. 

The next thing she knew Javik was kneeling in front of her, worry clear in his eyes. **“Are you alright?”** he asked. 

“ **I will be as soon as one of the doctors removes this bullet,”** Aaran muttered, not able to meet his eyes. 

Javik watched her for a moment and lightly touched her cheek, trying to read for more injuries. He could feel the numbness in her arm, the burning pain in her shoulder and the throbbing pain in her lower leg. Quickly he looked down and saw more blood pooling from her pants. He could see the small bullet hole in her armor. He smirked. She hadn’t even noticed that one and he found that amusing. 

Ignoring her protests for help, he lifted her to her feet; making sure that she was steady before taking a single step back. He wasn’t leaving her leave his side until they were aboard the ship. He scowled. When he saw her fall because of the bullet, anger, rage and fear had raced through him. 

“ **Javik, I’m fine. I’ve had a lot worse than this and lived,”** Aaran muttered as she saw the amusement in everyone’s eyes because the prothean wouldn’t leave her side. He had made sure her first stop was the med center as soon as she boarded. She wasn’t sure if she should amused, touched or annoyed when he warned everyone away that came near. She decided that annoyed was the best bet. 

Javik looked down Aaran as she lay on the bed, being checked by the doctor. He made up his mind. It was time….. 


	20. Chapter 20

Javik smirked as he watched Aaran from across the room. He was enjoying the flustered look on her face. It hadn’t been an hour since he’d almost taken her. His grin grew as he thought about her body pinned against the wall, the low growl she released as he pressed his armored body against her. He chuckled softly as she fumbled with some datapads when she heard his purrs.

 **“Problem, Aaran?”** he taunted as she walked by him and headed for the kitchen.

 **“Not a thing, Javik,”** she growled, giving him a lethal look.

 **“That’s not what your scent is telling me,”** he murmured, his voice dropping as he took a deep breath.

He grinned as she growled, her scent changing to one of a challenge. He could feel his own body answering that scent and didn’t fight it this time. He rose to his feet. “ **If you wish me to answer that call I would suggest taking this somewhere more private,”** Javik purred, stepping close to her. He matched her step for step as she tried to retreat. He was certain that one of her crew would step in, but he had seen the smirks and knowing looks.

He stepped into the elevator, not giving her any space as she groped blindly behind her for the button. His stance grew more challenging as he stepped closer, reached behind her and pressed the button to her room. **“Back off, Javik,”** she hissed. 

**“Make me,”** Javik taunted as he placed a hand on each side of her body, trapping her in place.

Aaran growled low and hit him in the stomach using her biotic powers. She smirked as he stumbled back a few steps out of the elevator when the doors opened. She took up a fighting stance and slowly stalked towards Javik, her teeth bared in warning. She scowled at him as he moved toward her, his intent clear in his eyes.

Javik took a deep breath, purring in pleasure as the scent of her heat came to him, calling him. His body was already throbbing for her; his body and mind sure of his decision. There was nothing to stop him this time, no argument. He’d already accepted that he wanted her and he was going to have her.

He watched as she backed away from him again, her eyes intent as she watched him in turn. He trilled his pleasure at the realization that she had finally accepted him. He watched the doors open behind her and moved quickly toward her. He noticed her grin and hesitated for a brief moment… but that moment is all that was needed. He watched the doors close after her, blocking him from her.

He snarled his anger as he banged on the door. **“Aaran, open the door!”** Silence met him as he continued to demand entrance. He could still smell her heat, taste it on the air. He could feel it on the door. Now it was coating his skin.

“Commander Javik, it would be prudent for you to refrain from damaging Commander Shepard’s door,” EDI warned him.

He walked back into the elevator, hissing loudly and snapping his teeth, and headed down to his own quarters.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooo~

Aaran grinned as she watched a group of krogan walk their way. She chuckled as one of them pushed his way forward, a huge grin on his face. “Battlemaster,” Grunt greeted.

“Good to see you, Grunt. So you lead your own unit now,” she commented, impressed with the young krogan.

“I remember him. He was the one who stayed in the room I now occupy,” Javik stated as he moved up beside Aaran.

“Who’s that?” Grunt asked, narrowing his eyes at the new alien. His attention switched to Shepard when he noticed the alien scenting the air. He took a scent of the air and grinned.

“That is a prothean. His name is Javik,” Aaran answered with an amused smile.

“In heat again? Better take a mate soon, especially with all the krogans here,” Grunt told her with a chuckle.

“If even one tries anything, I will take his quads as a trophy,” Aaran warned with a deadly grin. She noticed a few shift nervously and watched as Grunt’s grin grew. She ignored the steady growl coming from Javik. She knew she shouldn’t have brought him on this mission, but he was too damned good of a fighter to leave behind.

“So, what are the chances that this is actually rachni?” Aaran asked.

“My gut tells me it’s them,” Grunt answered. She was about to ask more, but stopped when Grunt reached out and grabbed her armored hand. Before she could react he yanked her glove off. Flashes quickly swept through her mind… the months that she had been gone, the fights that he’d endured and won. His rise in status in the clan. How he received this group. There was anticipation, blood boiling, body singing for a fight. His body was telling him that a strong enemy was near. She took her hand back. She had her answer. There weren’t many species that could ignite this reaction from a krogan, but the rachni definitely could.

“Alright, let’s head out and see if we can find out what is actually happening here,” Aaran ordered as Grunt headed toward the meeting place.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooo~

Tunnels… she was really starting to hate them. Being trapped where the ceiling could fall in on you at any moment wasn’t her idea of fun. She scowled at her new shadow. Javik hadn’t left her side since they’d climbed down from the shuttle.

They had already met up with quite a few rachnis, each of them altered. Years ago she had let the queen go, but it appeared that the bitch hadn’t hidden as well as she swore she would. She shook her head. If they met up with the queen once more there was no chance in hell Aaran will allow her to leave. She couldn’t. It was too dangerous. If the reapers found her once they could find her again.

“More rachni up ahead,” Javik warned, pulling out his gun.

“Great, just what we fucking need,” Aaran muttered as she opened fire. She watched as they fell to her bullets. It hadn’t taken long, but the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach was building.

“Victory, do not touch the rachni. Your control is still not good enough to avoid the reapers,” Javik warned as she stepped too close to one of the bodies.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Garrus asked, startled by Javik’s warning.

“Aaran’s ability to read by touch is unstable. She needs more instruction,” Javik told him.

Garrus shook his head, unwilling to argue. Honestly he thought it was an excuse for the prothean to be near her more often. Not that he blamed the prothean.

He watched Javik take lead as ordered. There was nothing strange about that. Shepard had given that order quite a few times on other missions, but this time he found it very amusing. Later, when they weren’t in danger he would have to rib her. He held in his laughter as he watched Shepard’s reaction to the prothean. He didn’t need to ask what she was thinking. It was written all over her face. Lust was clear in her eyes.

Garrus thought he would have to warn her about the upcoming enemies, but he didn’t have to. Her attention snapped toward them, gun readied. He smirked as he took aim, awaiting orders. Javik took a protective stance infront of Shepard and he could hear Shepard’s low growl. He didn’t know why they didn’t just admit that there was something between them instead of continuing the warnings all the time.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooo~

Shepard stood in front of the Mordin. She waited patiently as he finished recording the data he’d been collecting. “Shepard, good you are here. Need to speak with you about a few things,” Mordin said without looking up from his work.

“How is the female doing?” Aaran asked.

“Not good. Trying to get her stable, but not looking good,” Mordin muttered.

“When you have time, I need to speak with you privately,” Shepard told him quietly, making sure the female didn’t overhear them.

“Give me an hour here and I will meet you up in your room,” Mordin stated.

“Good, and bring all information you have on the genophage,” Shepard ordered as she left the room.

“What do you think the commander is planning?” Eve, the female krogan, asked.

“Not sure, but know that Shepard will do what is best for everyone,” Mordin stated.

“Her worry is Wreave. I worry, too,” Eve said quietly.

Mordin didn’t say a word. He’d already met the male krogan and wasn’t impressed. He was pretty sure he knew what this meeting was about. As he worked he weighed the pros and cons of the decision that he knew Shepard had made. He knew she wouldn’t come to that decision lightly.

He looked at the vitals of the female Krogan and shook his head. He knew the krogan wouldn’t make it. It was sad, but after everything, understandable.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooo~

 Shepard sat at her desk waiting for Mordin to arrive. She heard the door open and had a smile ready as a greeting. The smile wilted when she saw Javik standing there instead of Mordin. She saw the challenge still in his eyes and his heady scent called to her, but she ignored it all.

“What do you want, Javik?” she asked, not bothering to speak in the prothean tongue.

“ **You already know what I want and you need,”** Javik answered with a knowing smirk as he moved closer to her.

 **“To give in is a stupid move. We are in the middle of a war and the last thing I need is to become pregnant with your child right now,”** Aaran stated coldly as she scowled at him.

Javik paused. He knew she was right. It would be stupid for her to become pregnant right now. Dangerous for her and the young one. He knew this, but his body had different ideas. He took a step toward her, his hand lightly touching her cheek. He was surprised that she didn’t chase him off. With a knowing smirk he stepped even closer, his armor brushing against her clothing.

“Very true… then deny me. Say you don’t want me. Tell me my scent doesn’t call to you,” Javik ordered, his voice a rumble that poured over her skin.

She opened her mouth to say just those words… that she didn’t want him. That her body didn’t ache for him or call to him. She knew it was a lie, but didn’t care. Her mouth opened and the only sound that came out was a soft moan. She couldn’t say the words… her own body had just betrayed her.

She saw the triumphant glint in Javik’s eyes and wanted to take it away, but at this moment it wasn’t possible. She was teetering, ready to give in to her lust. She wanted to know – to know if those dreams were truthful - whether the sounds from the dreams were real.

She closed the last of the space, reached up and lightly ran her fingers along the red ribbing of his throat. His throaty growl urged her own, making her bolder…

“Ah good, Shepard, you are here,” Mordin stated, staring at his datapad as he walked into the room. He could smell her scent so he didn’t need to look to know that she was there.

Suddenly a low threatening growl filled the air. Mordin’s eyes snapped up from the datapad and opened wide. He prepared to hastily excuse himself, but didn’t get a chance. The prothean stormed past him, giving him a glare that told him the story of his death. Mordin shifted nervously…

“ **We will continue this later tonight. Be ready,”** Javik ordered before storming out of the room.


	21. chapter 21

Chapter 21

Mordin stood there, squirming; wondering if he should leave or continue with the meeting. He mentally shrugged. He was already here, and Shepard wasn’t busy anymore. 

“What information do you have?” Aaran asked and flinched as Mordin’s eyes widened. She knew her voice was deeper than normal and that her frills were slightly engorged. There was nothing that could be done about it at the moment. She scowled at the door, both glad and annoyed that Javik was gone. 

His last words replayed in her mind and she smirked. She couldn’t wait until night fall. It couldn’t come soon enough for her. 

“Female krogan won’t survive for the cure. Good chance Wreave will declare war after everyone is weakened from the reaper battle,” Mordin stated. 

“Yeah. I came to the same conclusion, even if the female lives. Wreave wants revenge more than anything,” Aaran murmured thoughtfully. “My suggestion would be to withhold the cure. We need to find a way to trick them into believing that they are cured. Is there a way to do this?” 

“Yes, always a way. Good plan, for now. Will keep the real cure safe for when krogans are ready. Until then will produce convincing alternative,” Mordin stated. He knew that would be her decision. Shepard had seen the danger, just as he had. He wanted the krogan cured and so did Shepard, but Wreave was too dangerous to leave unchecked. 

“Good. Keep this between the two of us. Let me know once you have everything ready,” Shepard stated and squirmed in place. 

“Is there something else you need, Shepard?” Mordin asked with a knowing smirk. 

Aaran swallowed hesitantly, uncertain whether to even mention her thoughts to Mordin. She sighed. He was the only one she knew she could ask. Mordin knew everything about her physical condition. “Need a way to stop pregnancy,” she stated abruptly. 

Mordin’s eyes widened. He had been expecting this question for a while now. With the way Javik had been acting around Shepard he was surprised that they hadn’t been intimate yet. 

Mordin grinned as he passed her a bottle of pills. “Take before becoming intimate with the prothean. No unwanted accidents should occur.” Without another word he left her room; enjoying her shocked look. 

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooo~

Aaran growled low. Her eyes were bugging out from staring at so many datapads. The frills on her neck were burning and itching, along with the ones by her hips. This was a first for her during her heat. Usually she got moody and antsy, but now her body was doing something new. She didn’t know why it was reacting this way and she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out. 

The saddest part was that the only person she could ask was Javik and that was the last place she would go to ask questions. She sighed, and rubbed the irritated frills on her neck. It didn’t relieve the feeling. 

She glanced at the time on her omnitool and was surprised to see that it was so late. This war and the missions it brought to her were taking its toll on her. Her body was tired, but her mind was not yet ready to rest. 

She idly wondered where the prothean was.  She was surprised that he hadn’t shown up after his warning. She honestly thought nothing would stop him from coming up here and keeping his promise. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or saddened that he hadn’t appeared.  

                                                                                ~oooooooooooooooo~

Javik sat in the medbay scowling at the salarian. Tests. That is all this doctor wanted and it’s what he got. First it had been blood, then skin, and now it was scans of his brain. He didn’t know what the doctor wanted next and he wasn’t about to find out. 

If the doctor raised one more scanner in his direction he would place it somewhere that the irritating physician wouldn’t easily forget.

He growled low when the doctor neared, and smirked as the salarian hesitated. He preferred them in his era, when they had been delicacies. He wished they still were. But he knew if he harmed this man any chances of mating with Aaran would be lost. She would never touch him. She might even try to kill him. 

“No more!” Javik snarled and rose to storm out of the room. 

“No more tests. Compatible with Aaran. Should be no problems with your mating,” Mordin stated as he read over the results. He didn’t mention that the chances were high that this man could get Shepard pregnant. He just hoped that his pills worked.

“I already know this, Salarian,” Javik stated, with a domineering smirk at the inferior doctor. 

Mordin rolled his eyes. He was about to rise to the taunt as so many of his crewmates had done before. He had already been told by many that this prothean thought them all inferior to him. His attitude made Mordin curious as to why he was willing to take Shepard as a mate. 

“Yes, just as inferior as Commander Shepard,” Mordin answered with a knowing look. He was pleased to see the prothean’s scowl darken. He didn’t need to be told that this thought had already crossed the prothean’s mind. He nodded to the prothean, turning his back in dismissal. 

Javik stared at the salarian’s back for a moment before storming out of the room. His first thought was to go to Aaran, but he decided to wait until everyone had gone to bed before heading to her room. The last thing he needed was unwanted questions from these people. Aaran didn’t need them, either. 

                                                                                  ~000000000000000~

Aaran scowled as she stood in the shower. It was the only relief she had. Her whole body was burning, not just her frills. She glared at the reddened welts on her arms from her nails. Nothing was giving her relief. Everything that touched her skin irritated it. She couldn’t even stand having her clothes on. 

She thought a hot shower would do the trick, but it wasn’t helping. If anything it relieved the itching but intensified the burning. She hated it. This was something new and there was no where she was willing to look for the information. 

With a sigh she stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel. She gritted her teeth as she dried herself. The burning increased with each pass of the towel. 

“Aaran….” a voice breathed behind her. Her body tensed and throbbed to the sound of the voice. Her frills burned, her skin… she didn’t know what it was trying to do, but it felt extra sensitive. 

Slowly she turned. Her worst nightmare and her best dream was standing before her, purring. His eyes were trained on her and his mating scent filled the room. Her body reacted, wanting him, needing him; but her instincts yelled that she couldn’t just give in. 

Javik took a step forward, the scent of her heat thickly filling the air. He smirked as she growled at him, her body taking up a challenging stance as she stood there naked before him. “ **I’ll have you many times before this night is finished** ,” Javik warned her as he moved closer, certainty in each step that he would mate with her… that he would be the dominant. 

He reached out a hand, grasping onto her hair. He expected the fist and caught it, neatly trapping it against the desk. He smirked down at her as her growl grew. He knew this fight wasn’t even close to being over. 

Javik grunted as he flew across the room, his back hitting the wall. His eyes brightened at the challenge. He had thought it would be a minor struggle since she was part human, but no - she had proven him wrong once more. She was a prothean, and he needed to prove himself. 

He didn’t hesitate as he pushed her back with his biotics. He grinned triumphantly when she met his eyes with surprise and pleasure. Without giving her a chance to regroup he moved quickly across the room and pinned her to the desk. He inserted one leg between hers as he pressed his weight against her. 

The first challenge had been met - his biotics were stronger. He never doubted it. Now came the harder part. Making a woman of power, one who was used to being in command, submit to him. He loved a good challenge and this was going to be a very enjoyable one. 

He grinned down at her, now that she was pinned… or so he thought. Somehow, some way that he couldn’t figure out, she’d escaped him and was now on the other side of the room. He had expected the call of his scent to sooth her, but it seemed that his plan wasn’t going to work. 

Javik stalked toward her once more. He plotted and planned on ways to subdue her, but nothing quickly came to mind. There was nothing close to pin her against. The only way he could see was a fight and he didn’t want that. 

Aaran’s growl was low and challenging as he came closer. His scent called to her, making her body ache. She watched his every move - his lithe grace, the muscles underneath his armor, everything. She wanted it all. 

She met his eyes and saw the same lust in them. Quickly she moved, foot-sweeping him unexpectedly. She roared in triumph when they both landed on the floor with her on top. “Submit,” she growled with a lethal grin. 

“Never,” Javik stated, and Aaran could have sworn that she saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. She gasped as the coolness of his hand touched her frills and nearly purred her pleasure. Aaran glanced up and was startled to see Javik now hovering above her. 

She tried to move, but found her hands suddenly held aloft above her. Her eyes widened as she heard snaps opening. Her response wasn’t fear, but she wasn’t ready to submit. There was no way she was going down without a fight. 

“ **Do you submit to me, Victory?”** Javik purred. 

“ **No!”** Aaran hissed. She hesitated when she heard Javik chuckle. 

Her body tensed as he leaned closer….

“ **Give in…”** he murmured, before placing his teeth just below her jaw on the frills.

Aaran felt like she was on fire… her body throbbed forcefully when his teeth touched her. She moaned low, wantonly, pressing herself against him. 

Javik grinned down at her and didn’t bother with finesse. He drove himself into her warm channel, moaning as she closed around him like a vice. 

Aaran’s body arched, a loud moan leaving her. She met his gaze and slowly closed her eyes, submitting as he wished. This wasn’t a dance of passion or gentleness. Instead it was a dance of teeth, nails, and animalistic sounds that emanated from the both of them. This was a burning lust, a need so great that they couldn’t get enough of each other. 

Each thrust was harder than the last, each bite breaking skin; each grasp of the hand bruising skin. This was untamed wildness, a long waited desire that needed to be sated. 

Aaran felt him swelling within her and moaned low. She pressed herself closer, needing to feel him fill her more. Her muscles clamped around him tightly, holding him in place as she thrashed beneath him. She heard him shout and fill her. Slowly her body went limp as she came down from her release. 

She opened her eyes to see Javik still above her. His head was bowed, but he was still locked deep within her. She gave him a curious look, unsure what was happening. Turians never did this and they were the only ones she’d ever been with. 

“ **Protheans are very different than turians. We are locked for the time being** ,” Javik answered her thoughts.

“ **And this is normal?”** she asked curiously as she lightly traced the shirt he hadn’t bothered taking off. 

“ **Very** ,” Javik answered with amusement as he rolled onto his back, taking her with him. He rested his head on the floor, regaining his strength for the rest of the night. 

He stared up at Aaran and knew he had made the right decision. Once tonight was done, he would go back to his personal mission and leave her be. She was his mate for tonight, but he wouldn’t allow them to be joined or bonded. That was the last thing either of them needed. 

“ **I agree. Tonight we are fuck buddies. Tomorrow I am your commander,”**  Aaran stated. 

Javik looked at her in surprise. He hadn’t thought she would agree to the arrangement. “ **Tonight, I am your commander,** ” he reminded her. With a sigh he slipped out of her and had the pleasure of watching her writhe. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooooooo~

They lay on the bed panting, their hearts still racing. All night…. That was a first for her and she had enjoyed every minute, but there was a war and it was time to end this. 

She looked at the prothean lying next to her. His eyes were shut, his hands folded on top of his chest so he didn’t accidently touch her. She didn’t mind. It allowed her to keep something to herself. 

“You should head down to your quarters now,” Aaran stated. She needed to leave to get food and then she would sleep for a while. 

Javik looked at Victory for a moment before rising and quickly dressing. Their night was done. Now he could focus on defeating the reapers instead of his lusts. Aaran’s heat would be done soon and the scent she gave off would be normal once more; instead of continuing to call to him.

Without another glanced at his commander he left her room and took the elevator to his floor. Now his life would be as normal as it could be, surrounded by these primitives. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

It was early morning when Aaran went to grab some food. Javik had been gone less than an hour and she was fighting the urge to seek him out for one more round.  Her body was tired, her muscles more relaxed than they had ever been. She had never been this content. She’d just finished making a sandwich when she heard Garrus clear his throat behind her. 

“What?” she asked with a raised brow. 

“I would have Chakwas check out that bite mark before day shift begins,” he told her with a grin. 

Aaran’s hand automatically went to the bite mark on the back of her neck and noticed Garrus’ eyes widen. “Not that one…” he trailed off, his grin growing bigger. 

She moved her hand to her shoulder. She had thought that one was covered… “Not that one, either…” he chuckled. 

Her eyes widened and the only bite she could think of that he would see was the one on her upper chest…. “Shepard, how many bite marks do you have?” Garrus asked incredulously as his grin grew wider. “Try the one on your lower back…”

“What are you doing up this early?” she asked, trying to change the subject. 

“Hungry, but then I saw you. I don’t need to ask what you have been doing,” he murmured, his grin never leaving his face. 

“Yeah, well, you can grab your food. I’m heading to bed,” she muttered, grabbing her sandwich and heading to the elevator. Garrus’ chuckles followed her inside.

“Don’t forget to have Chakwas look at all those bites,” she heard Garrus call after her. A blush spread across her face, burning her skin.

She couldn’t believe she actually felt awkward at being caught. Usually that didn’t bother her. People knowing she’d had sex had never bothered her before, yet for some reason her time with Javik did. She didn’t regret what happened, how could she? She’d just had the best sex of her life. She wasn’t ashamed of it, either. She had desires like everyone else, including the prothean in the cargo hold. It made no sense. 

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Javik lay on the floor trying to sleep but _her_ face haunted him. He nearly groaned when the image of her finding her release played in his mind. He didn’t bother fighting it. He allowed his mind to wander as he drifted to sleep. 

_He stood in front of a storage shed. He could hear someone inside. It sounded female. No scent came to him, only the screams of terror and pain. On the wind there was the scent of rape and blood._

_He watched as two aliens, batarians - as Aaran had called them - moved to the door. He growled low, but they never noticed him; despite his proximity. He watched as one opened the door and a small human barrelled out, her hands flaring with dark energy. He watched as she threw dark channel, a biotic power he was very familiar with. He was impressed that this young human took out two of the aliens with her bare hands. He didn’t need to be told that it was Aaran._

_She stopped for a brief moment looking at a nearby body. An adult lay dead, her eyes wide with the remnants of the terror she had felt before dying. Her clothes were ripped, leaving her bare. He didn’t need to be told what happened. He was glad she’d died instead of having to endure that injustice._

_Javik turned his focus back to the young woman. He followed her and watched as she killed another three batarians. He was surprised at how adept she was at fighting. He followed her to the wood where his dream had begun._

_He stopped abruptly when she faced him, her gaze confused. He knew he was in her dream and wasn’t sure how it happened. He met her eyes and a cold chill travelled down his back as realization dawned on him. “Why are you in my dream, Javik?” Aaran asked him._

_He couldn’t – wouldn’t answer that question. That she knew he was in her dreams was worse than having called him to the dream. He scowled at her, waiting for her to do the right thing and allow him to leave._

_His eyes widened as she still looked at him in confusion. “You called me here,” he snarled._

_“No, I didn’t call you,” she answered slowly. “Why would I call you to my worst nightmare?”_

_He snapped his mouth closed. If she didn’t call him, then that meant he…called her…. He felt a cold sweat on his back. His presence here was his fault. He couldn’t believe he was the one who started this dance. He had broken his own rule…._

_He swore silently at himself. Closing his eyes he willed himself awake and out of her mind._

                                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

 

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

Javik paced the confines of his quarters, filled with self-loathing. He couldn’t believe he’d just made a major mistake. For all his claims of wanting only one night with Aaran, he had tried to bond with her. 

He stormed away from his basin of water to his bed and sat down heavily; his head buried in his hands. Distantly he could still feel her. As if it wasn’t bad enough that her scent clung to him, her presence was with him, as well. 

Stupid…stupid… he berated himself. He snarled his frustration at the empty room. He tried to force all thoughts of Aaran from his mind, but the dream plagued him. He couldn’t distance himself like he should from her. 

Javik sighed desolately and closed his eyes, looking for some peace… a moment’s sanity. He hoped that once he regained control of himself there would be no other errors on his part. 

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooooo~

Shepard sat at her desk, plotting the next course of action. First they would go to the Citadel to restock, and then they would check out a few planets for possible survivors. 

She narrowed her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder for what seemed like the one-hundredth time. She could’ve sworn that Javik was standing right behind her. She shook her head when she saw nothing there. With an annoyed sigh she turned back to the map in front of her. 

She smirked, pleased with the progress they had been making. With each passing day more people joined the fight. Soon they would have an army great enough to defeat the reapers. She’d been informed that several planets previously occupied by reapers were now free. That gave her hope. 

With a low growl her attention snapped over her shoulder once more. Once more the room was empty. Javik wasn’t there. It confounded her. She was positive that the prothean was there in the room with her, but there was no sign of him. She didn’t understand it and there was no way she was going to ask him to explain. 

She gave up focusing on the maps in front of her. “Joker, when will we reach Tuchanka?” she asked. 

“We’ll be there in a few hours,” Joker answered. 

“Is there a problem?” Shepard asked, feeling nervous that something new had popped up. 

“Oh nothing much, just avoiding reapers,” Joker drawled. Aaran could hear the smirk in his voice. 

“Yeah, good plan,” she answered with a chuckle and cut coms. 

Aaran closed her tired eyes for a moment. She could see Javik standing in front of her and knew she wasn’t dreaming. Her eyes snapped open and Javik wasn’t in her room. Yet when she closed them again, he reappeared. 

He stood before her without his armor. His chest was bare and the red frills at his neck and hips were red and engorged. His hand lightly passed over his chest and she felt the touch as though to her own body. A low moan built and prepared to break free, but she fought it back. The sensation of that touch made her skin hyper-sensitive. 

Slowly she opened her eyes and, as she suspected, she was alone in her room. She wanted to close her eyes once more, but didn’t dare. She wanted to see what pleasure the prothean could give her this way, but she knew it would be a mistake. Against her better judgement she closed her eyes…

A low growl escaped her. There was nothing there. No Javik… no pleasure… nothing….

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran stood at the shuttle door, waiting for her crew. James was already there, but Garrus and Mordin hadn’t arrived yet. She already knew Mordin would be late. He’d informed her that there were too many things to get ready for in the short amount of time that she had given him. 

Her gaze snapped to the door and widened in surprise. Javik stood there, scowling at her. 

James noticed the new arrival, as well. He smirked as he watched the prothean storm toward them. For his own safety he walked over to his station and gave them privacy. He saw the anger in Javik’s eyes and knew he wasn’t impressed that Shepard had left him out of the mission. 

Aaran sighed. She had hoped to avoid this, but she should have known better. “What can I do for you, Javik?” she asked quietly. 

**“We are going against reapers. Why am I being left behind?”** Javik asked with a growl to his voice. 

**“I don’t want a repeat of what happened in my room. Tell me, Javik, how is it when I close my eyes for a moment I can see you? And why did it feel like you were in my room?”** Aaran asked with a cold voice. 

Javik heart raced. He hadn’t thought that she would be affected, as well. Worry ate at him and a question rose in his mind. It was one he wanted to ignore, but now couldn’t. _Did he bond with her already, without even realizing it?_ He hoped not. He couldn’t do that right now. Not with a war raging all around them. 

Aaran was surprised by the amount of emotions flowing over Javik’s face. His usual stoic expression was filled with confusion, hopelessness, wariness, and sadness. She didn’t understand what would cause all these emotions and something told her she had to know. Her first reaction was to ask, but she decided against it. She knew she wasn’t going to like whatever the prothean had to say. 

“ **The fault is mine. We’ll discuss it at a later time,”** Javik stated. He grimaced as he spoke the words. He hated admitting that it was his mistake. 

Aaran debated whether to take him along. He would be an asset, but would there be a repeat of the earlier mess? She didn’t know and wasn’t sure if she should take the chance. “ **Fine. You can come, but  you better control whatever is happening to you,”** Aaran ordered coldly before turning away from him and focusing on inventory in the shuttle. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooooo~

Aaran stopped, her mouth dropping open as she stared at the huge reaper before them. She glanced at her team. Garrus looked to her for orders and James was staring at the reaper in awe, but Javic remained impassive. 

“This seems familiar,” he murmured and ducked back under cover. She smirked at the quip. So far everything had been normal. Javik continued his snarky comments, and there were no flashes of memories or unwanted visions. 

“We need to get to the two hammers. Hopefully Eve was right in this suggestion,” Aaran muttered. 

“If she isn’t, it’s going to be a really short fight,” James grumbled. 

“For now we ignore the ship. There is not a fucking thing we can do against it. Focus on the reapers. I’ll go for the hammers,” she stated before leaping out of cover and heading straight for the reapers’ ground troops. 

She sighed in relief as her team caught their attention and she slipped by them. Her relief was short lived as she moved quickly to the first hammer. More were waiting for her and she was on her own. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she moved quickly, dodging them and hitting the button for the first hammer. 

Just as quickly she turned back to the two brutes that blocked her way. She used her biotic charge toward one, hoping to knock it onto its back. It sort of worked the way she wanted - the brute stumbled back a couple of steps, but the second one was already on her. 

Its meaty fist connected with her body, sending her flying into a cement wall. Her body shook from the impact and her teeth rattled. For a moment she couldn’t move, as she watched them charge toward her. She knew she’d made a fatal mistake and now she was going to pay for it. 

She watched one lift a gigantic fist and aim it at her head. The fist descended… she watched as a hole blossomed in the monster’s chest and it tumbled forward. The other one turned to someone else. She searched for her rescuer and found Javik standing there, looking feral.

Her mouth dropped open as she watched Javik kill her remaining assailant. He made it look easy. She wasn’t sure whether to be pissed at him or proud of his prowess. She watched as he stood there breathing heavily. Their eyes met. His look was still feral, but there was possessiveness to it. She was about to say something, but was interrupted. 

“Holy shit, Javik! And your people lost against the reapers?” James asked incredulously. 

Aaran turn her attention to Vega, “What do you mean?” 

“Don’t know what happened. One minute he was fighting with us and the next he gave this low growl and everything in his path died as he made his way here. Garrus and I did clean-up. It’s clear to the next hammer,” James stated with a shrug and an impressed look toward Javik. 

Aaran shook her head and prepared to rise to her feet. Her breath caught as Javik took her hand and pulled her up. She met his gaze and shivered. The heated gaze that met hers wanted more, but there was no way. Now wasn’t the time. 

“Javik, we need to get to the next hammer,” she muttered as she looked away from him. 

“ **You are not able to fight right now,”** he stated. 

“I can still fight!” Aaran snarled and grimaced when her ribs burned. She knew that very shortly she was going to be feeling the pain. 

She glanced at Garrus and Vega, glad they weren’t paying attention. Both were standing guard in case more enemies appeared. “ **Aaran, don’t be a fool. I can feel your injuries. You have broken ribs and some internal damage. I’ll get to the hammer. You get to the female,”** Javik ordered. 

Aaran thought about reprimanding him, but knew he was right. “ **Fine, but you’d better keep your ass safe,”** she muttered before moving toward the rest of her team. 

James watched the prothean disappear. He smirked in amusement. He wasn’t shocked at all now at how the prothean reacted. He needed to tell Joker, so he could collect his winnings. 

“You haven’t won yet,” Garrus murmured, chuckling. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooo~

Shepard stood beside Mordin. “Is everything ready?” she asked.

“Yes. Just give me a few moments and we can leave here,” he murmured as he punched in a few more commands. “Good thing Valern gave you the codes to turn off the protection or would have to go up,” Mordin muttered. 

“Finished, Shepard. We can leave and the krogans won’t be the wiser. Good decision. Eve died not long after mission started. Wreave was already talking about war. Once new krogan leader is in place after Wreave is dead cure is possible. Not until then,” Mordin stated. 

“Very true, and I already have an idea on who could take over,” Aaran murmured before heading for the door. 

“I’ll see you in the Normandy’s medical bay,” Mordin said as they boarded the shuttle. 

“I’ll be there once I have filed my report,” Aaran stated. 

“She’ll be there before then,” Javik said firmly as he gave Aaran a warning look. 

“Javik…” Aaran warned, her voice turning cold. 

“ **You are commander of the ship and crew; but when it comes to you, I am commander,”** Javik bit out, a warning light seen clearly in his eyes. He found it amusing that everyone was listening avidly, but not able to understand what was being said. “She will meet you in the med bay once we board, Professor.” 

Aaran scowled, but didn’t bother arguing. She knew she would lose and didn’t want her teammates seeing more than they already had. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooooooooo~

Aaran scowled at the smug smile Javik wore. True to his word he’d taken her to the med bay shortly after they boarded. Mordin stood beside her with a needle in hand. She cringed when she saw it. She really hated needles. She was about to protest when the prothean interrupted. 

“ **Aaran…”** Javik murmured as he moved up beside her. Lightly he placed his hand on her forehead. “Professor, do what you must. You will not need that needle,” Javik said with a disgusted look. 

Javik took a seat next to Aaran. He smiled softly as images came to him.

_Aaran stood in a field surrounded by her father and others. She felt peaceful, her mind at ease. She looked at her father and saw the look of pride on his face. “You are a true prothean,” he murmured and looked over her shoulder._

_Javik stood beside her, one hand on her shoulder. Emotion welled in his eyes - pride, peace, and contentedness - as he looked at other protheans that he’d only seen in memory shards._

_“We will stay here until the doctor is finished,” Javik murmured as he moved them both closer to their people._

   

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Javik sat in his room, his mind still not fathoming what he had just seen in Aaran’s memories. It wasn’t the fact that he saw other protheans, but that one spoke to her. The only thing he couldn’t figure out was whether her mind was supplying the words…

Still it made no sense. Aaran didn’t strike him as a fanciful person. She wouldn’t imagine speaking with a dead race. He didn’t see her as that desperate. He shook his head. He didn’t understand it. 

Ignoring his confusion he turned his attention back to the computer screen. There was a photo of Aaran included with the mission report for the loss of the Normandy. He’d read over the mission many times and it still bothered him that she had died and then revived so long after her demise. 

He’d been told that Cerberus played a large part in her resurrection. But it still bothered him. Something seemed wrong. It wasn’t the act but the reason behind it that bothered him most. He stared up at the human face and wondered about the changes that death and resurrection had wrought within her. 

In the picture she looked human. You would never guess that she had prothean genes within her. Now it was completely different. She looked prothean, as she should have from the beginning. 

Above all this was one large problem. He was glad she hadn’t figured it out yet. He tried to hide it as much as possible, but it was very hard. He had bonded to her. He didn’t understand how. It shouldn’t have happened with one coupling. They did nothing out of the ordinary. They didn’t link minds. They didn’t stimulate any of the important glands for bonding, so it shouldn’t have happened. 

He shook his head. When his people were around life wasn’t this confusing. Throw in a new race and all that he knew was shot out of the window. Things that should have been impossible were happening all the time, while everything that should have been happening was absent. He was supposed to have release for one night… take her, find relief and then move on. But no… He had to take, bond with her, and dwell on her. 

“Commander Javik, Commander Shepard has given shore leave to the crew for two days on the Citadel,” the computerized voice told him. 

“Understood,” he growled, annoyed at being interrupted. He shook his head. Fifty thousand years ago he had been alive with his people surrounding him and never once seen the Citadel. Now she was taking shore leave on the one place he had heard old stories about, but never seen. It was too much. He would never admit it, but that was the truth. 

                                                                                ~ooooooooooo~

Aaran sat with Garrus in the mess hall, waiting patiently for the ship to dock. They were an hour out, almost to the relay, and they really needed this break. She could see everyone was on edge. They needed time to relax. This was only the beginning of the war and things would get worse before they ever got better. 

She glanced around, relieved to see the hopeful looks on the crew’s faces as they waited for the ship to dock. 

“What’s bothering you?” Garrus asked, concern filling his voice. He’d noticed the troubled look and the dull sheen to her eyes. 

“I don’t know…” Aaran answered with a vague shrug. She didn’t know, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. She glanced around the mess hall once more and noticed that Javik wasn’t around. That in itself wasn’t odd. He didn’t usually come to this place until it was nearly empty or she was alone. 

 The urge to search out Javik grew and she hated it. They’d had their night together. Even though it was the best she’d ever had it should have been enough. But her body was screaming - not necessarily for more, but for Javik. It irked her and she didn’t understand it. 

“What’s the problem?” Garrus asked with a curious look. 

“When I figure it out I’ll let you know. It’s just one of those new things that pops up every once in a while,” Aaran grumbled. 

“Why don’t you talk to Javik about it? He would know better than anyone,” Garrus suggested. 

“Uh… no,” Aaran muttered. Garrus eyes widened as Aaran’s eyes darkened, her scent became stronger and the frills on her neck were starting to engorge. He tried not to stare at them, he really did, but it was hard not to watch her neck swell. He gave a questioning look when he heard her chirp. Aaran had just chirped. He’d heard various sounds from her, from growls to purrs, but this was a chirp. It was something common among turians. 

Garrus sat back in his chair trying to get away from the scent that was now burning his nose and eyes. He wondered what was going through her mind to bring on that scent. He was about to leave his seat and go back to the main battery when her scent changed once more. 

It was sweet and covered her like a coat. He glanced around to see what had changed nearby and found his answer. Javik had walked into the room and Aarans focus was only on the prothean. Garrus was positive the ship could have been under attack and Aaran wouldn’t even notice. 

“Aaran?” he called and waited for an answer. He leaned further back in his chair as the scent grew stronger. He had to admit this new scent was better than the first. But it was thick in the air, almost as if he surrounded by what humans call sugar. He didn’t know if he liked it or hated it. 

Garrus knew Javik was very close. He was surrounded by the scent now. He looked over his shoulder to see Javik standing close enough to touch. He made up his mind. He hated the scent. Without a word to either of them he left the table. He didn’t wait for a goodbye. He knew he wouldn’t receive one. 

“Javik, what the hell is going on?” Aaran asked with a warning growl in her voice. 

“Nothing I can’t control. There is no need to worry, Victory,” Javik stated firmly, a scowl marring his face as he glared at her. 

“Then start controlling it because if this keeps up you are going out the airlock,” Aaran snapped, her voice raised enough that it caught everyone’s attention. 

“Aaran…” Javik said in a low rumbling voice that shot through her. She fought not to groan or purr her pleasure at the way he said her name. She fought not to show any reaction, but knew she’d failed when she saw him smirk. 

**“Remember who is in charge on this ship, Javik!”** Aaran hissed, her eyes narrowing in warning. 

Javik cursed fluently and shook his head. He couldn’t believe he’d tried to take control of the situation. He hissed his displeasure with himself before meeting her eyes once more. “ **I remember, Commander,** ” Javik muttered, lowering his eyes briefly to show his submission. 

“ **Good. Don’t forget it again,** ” Aaran hissed. **“We’ll be docked at the Citadel shortly. Are you joining us or staying aboard the ship?”**

“ **I have not decided yet. Is there something you wish?”** Javik asked. 

“ **No. I just thought you would like to see the Citadel. Especially since you didn’t have a chance in your cycle,”** Aaran murmured thoughtfully. She thought for sure he would take her up on the offer, but the caution in his eyes and the unexplained fear in the pit of her stomach told her differently. She could see no fear in his eyes, but she could smell it. Her own fear was something that she would contemplate at a later time. 

“ **Javik, what’s going on?”** Aaran asked, confusion thick in her voice. What emotion might have shown in the prothean’s eyes disappeared. They were blank, narrowed into slits. 

“ **We will discuss this later,”** Javik bit out coldly before storming away. 

“What was that all about?” Garrus asked when he noticed Javik leaving. He had watched the argument from a distance to be safe. 

“I am not sure,” Aaran murmured as she watched Javik’s retreating back disappear. 

                                                                                ~oooooooooooooo~

The relaxing trip to the Citadel never happened. Cerberus was there and had taken over. They were hunting down the Council and it looked as though they might succeed. Aaran was pissed. 

Everywhere people were dying because she wasn’t fast enough. “Victory, you can’t allow your emotions to rule you now,” Javik said quietly as they took cover behind a wall. 

“What do you know about what I am thinking?” Aaran snarled. 

“More than I want to right now,” Javik snapped coldly before turning back to the fight and ignoring the growls that came from Aaran. 

Aaran scowled. She wanted to know more, but the man wasn’t making it easy. Her attention snapped back to the fighting when she heard Javik hiss. More Cerberus agents were coming toward them. One of them reminded her of Thane when he fought, able to spring around with ease. She hated them with a passion. 

She signaled to Garrus and James to move forward. They did so quickly. Garrus sniped the agents that were grouped further down the hall. James was using all those muscles to his benefit - she had noticed quite a few agents flying over a nearby wall. It amused her to no end. 

“Commander, we need to find the Council immediately or that bastard will get to them first,” Garrus warned her. 

“Yeah, I know,” Aaran grumbled and moved quickly to the next room. She grinned as she looked through a window and saw Valern standing near a table; just coming out of cloak. “Garrus, we found the Salarian Councillor,” she said.

“Then let’s get him to safety quickly,” Garrus said as he stood beside her. Javik scowled at the turian, moving closer to Aaran on her other side. He sniffed the air and tensed. 

He could smell another that he didn’t know, followed by the sickly sweet scent of something dying. He glanced at Aaran and knew that she smelled the same thing. Her eyes kept flicking to a vent with a smirk. 

“Leng is nearby,” Aaran growled, her fist shooting out quickly and smashing through the glass, shattering it. Javik jumped through first. He saw a shadow of movement just before Leng showed himself. 

Aaran leapt through, landing lightly on her feet. She aimed her gun, trying to get a clean shot; but the bastard was using the councillor as a shield. She cursed, slowly moving to the side, but it made no difference. She couldn’t get a clean shot. She knew their time was limited and there was nothing she could do. For a few moments she had smelled Thane nearby, but she couldn’t tell if it was a scent left over from a short time ago or if he was still around. She prayed he was there, hiding somewhere. 

She glanced at Javik and noticed his hands glowing bright with his biotics. Garrus had his sights lined up, ready to take a shot when it was clear, and James’ smirk informed the man that he was well and truly fucked. In a way it was amusing, but she couldn’t allow herself be distracted or they might miss the opportunity to act when it presented itself. 

She was about to say fuck it and take the shot, but the decision was taken from her when a black shadow moved and knocked the salarian out of the way. Her mouth dropped open as she watched the two combatants begin their duel. They were so quick, moving fluidly… something she would never be able to do. She always knew Thane was good, but this surprised even her. He was dying and he moved as if he was a healthy drell. They were moving so fast that her eyes couldn’t keep up. 

She heard Javik trill, his eyes wide. “Impressive for a dying man,” he murmured. 

Aaran turned back to the fighting and nearly screamed. She watched the long blade sink into Thane’s gut. She couldn’t believe it! She watched Thane slowly slump to the floor. Rage burned bright inside her and she ran after the asshole. 

She fired her gun, knowing that she wouldn’t hit him. Rather than pursue him, she ran to her injured friend. 

“Damn you! You’d better not fucking die,” Aaran threatened. 

“Do not worry. I’ll be fine for a bit,” Thane soothed. 

“Javik, keep an eye on him and make sure he stays alive,” Aaran ordered and ran for another car. 

Javik didn’t say a word. He watched her leave and could feel her anger coursing through him. He also felt her fear and worry. He looked down at the drell and knew he didn’t have long to live. There was nothing much he could do. 

Lightly he touched the drell’s hand. “I can take the pain away and let you pass quickly,” Javik offered. 

“No, Siha would probably hunt us both down if I didn’t fight,” Thane murmured with a fond smirk. 

Javik nodded and sighed. He could still feel Aaran’s worry for this man and it annoyed him. He wondered what she truly felt for the drell. He knew he could find out, but at the moment he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know. 

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooo~

They all stood in the hospital. Javik stayed well back, watching Aaran. He glanced at Mordin and scowled. He couldn’t believe that Aaran had called for the salarian. The last thing that the drell needed was to be poked and prodded by that man. If he were the one dying he wouldn’t want that salarian on the same planet as him. 

“Shepard, there is a way to save him, but it would require more potent blood than your own,” Mordin reminded her. 

“And where are we going to get that?” Aaran asked, her voice snapping with anger and frustration. 

“From a prothean,” Mordin commented, rolling his eyes. 

“Javik,” Aaran whispered when the salarian’s suggestion began to sink in. 

Javik stiffened as Mordin and Aaran turned to him. He really didn’t like the look of determination in Aaran’s eyes. It was never good when a female looked like that. 

Javik took a step back when they both walked his way. “Javik, I need you to do me a favor,” Aaran murmured. He scowled as her eyes turned pleading. He wasn’t going to do it. He didn’t know what they wanted, but he’d already made up his mind. 

“No,” Javik stated. 

His shoulders slowly drooped as Aaran let out a desolate sigh. _He was not going to give in…_

“Please…” she asked, showing him all the emotions that she had kept hidden for so long. 

Javik groaned… He saw the torment, anger and sadness. “What?” 

“We need your blood to save Thane,” Aaran murmured and moved closer to him. 

“Why?” Javik asked with narrowed eyes. 

“Don’t have time to explain. Will explain it to you afterwards,” Mordin stated, cutting into their conversation. Javik narrowed his eyes at the salarian and growled low. 

Aaran knew that Javik was about to say no. She did the only thing she could think of. He placed a hand on his cheek, forcing his attention back to her. “Please, Javik,” she murmured. “This war is going to take enough people away. I want to save at least one, especially when I know it can be done. Please.” 

_Only a female can do this to a man…_ Javik thought to himself before giving his answer. “Fine. I’ll do it,” he murmured and nuzzled the top of her head, not caring that the others were watching. 

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Aaran paced the halls, waiting word of Thane and Javik. She prayed that their plan would work, but knew there was a chance that it wouldn’t. Javik’s blood was different from her own and she hoped that it would make it possible to heal Thane.

She growled low when another doctor walk toward her. She didn’t want to be bothered at the moment. She didn’t want to hear more bad news. “Aaran, you need to calm down. You’re putting everyone on edge,” Garrus muttered.

“Don’t care,” Aaran hissed and continued her pacing.

“Yeah, well if they decide to strap you down to a gurney to keep you from wearing out their floors and terrifying the doctors, I’m helping them,” Garrus told her with a smirk. He held in his chuckle as she turned to him and gaped.

“You wouldn’t!” she muttered with a shake of her head.

“Wouldn’t I?” Garrus asked with a chuckle. “The doctors here need to focus on the other patients without worrying about when you are going to kill them.”

“Fine, I’ll quit growling at them,” she answered with a sigh.

Javik stepped out the room and watched Aaran as she talked with the turian. He felt her frustrations, worry and fear as if they were his own. He wondered if she felt the same as he did. Sometimes she acted like it, but he wasn’t sure. He cursed himself silently for bonding with a half breed. It was quite possible that their bond was one sided, and that made the situation both better and worse.

He was about to walk toward her, but stopped when the drell stepped out beside him. He hissed his displeasure. That displeasure grew as Aaran’s attention snapped their way. A low rumble of pleasure started deep within his throat when her eyes met his and died suddenly when her attention turned to the drell. The pleasure that lit her eyes angered him. He wanted to rip the drell’s throat out. He wanted to kill him slowly for receiving that look from her.

“Sere Krios, you should still be in bed resting. We need to monitor you in case your body rejects the foreign blood,” a doctor stated from behind them.

Javik smirked as he watched the scowl form on the drell’s face. He could have told the doctor that the drell was fine, but there was no way that he was going to do that. “You should have that salarian run tests on him to make sure. Shepard trusts his word and she would order him to run tests,” Javik suggested with a malicious grin at the drell. “I’ll inform Commander Shepard that the doctors suggest that you should be observed for a few days.”

Javik walked off, his steps much lighter now that the drell wouldn’t be interfering with him. It irked him that Aaran seemed so happy to see the drell. He glanced at Garrus, a warning in his eyes that he knew the turian saw and ignored. If this was his time he would have killed the turian, but he couldn’t. He hated that Aaran was so close to so many men.

“The doctors suggest that the drell stay longer for observation. I would suggestion you have that salarian check him over to make sure my blood worked,” Javik said calmly, trying to hide his pleasure in relaying this message. It gave him great pleasure to sic that salarian on someone else and he was really glad that it was the drell. The drell needed to be poked and prodded and used as someone’s experimental toy . He knew that Aaran would never allow it so a few days under that salarian’s care would have to do.

“Garrus, contact Mordin, Let him know that Thane is awake,” Aaran ordered. She glanced at Javik and wondered about the amused light that she saw in his eyes. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what caused the prothean’s joy.

                                                                                                ~oooooooooooO~

Garrus sat in the mess hall smirking as Thane sat across from them. “It seems that the prothean has taken a strong dislike to me,” Thane commented.

“Don’t feel bad. He’s like that to everyone except Aaran,” Garrus answered, shrugging his shoulders. He glanced over Thane’s shoulder and saw Aaran walking toward them. She was distracted by something - her brow was creased and her mouth was set in a thin line.

“How are you feeling?” Aaran asked Thane as she read all the medical reports from the two datapads in her hand.

“Mordin said there was no sign of Kepral’s other than the scar tissue and that with proper exercise and a simple surgical procedure there should be no problems,” Thane announced with a smug grin.

“Good. Now what are you doing on board? The Normandy is leaving in one hour,” Aaran stated trying to keep the hope that Thane was joining them out of her voice.

Thane’s eyes flicked to the hall leading to the elevators. He saw the prothean standing in the shadows scowling. His mind worked quickly. He’d noticed how Javik watched Aaran and decided to test s theory. What was the worst that would happen? The prothean would try and kill him, but he wasn’t worried. “I am where I belong, if you’ll have me,” Thane answered, deepening his voice a little, making the words mean more than they should. He smirked as he heard the growl and this time it didn’t come from Aaran. He knew he was on the right track.

He glanced at Javik and then at Aaran and made a decision. He wondered if his actions in this moment would keep him from seeing the end of the mission. If he didn’t, it would be a good death. He smirked as Aaran’s eyes changed from wide orbs to narrow slits. He ignored the warning scent coming from her and lightly traced the back of her hand, his eyes on the prothean with a smug smirk.

He rose to his feet and met Aaran’s eyes. “This time there is nothing to keep me away from where I belong,” he murmured huskily. Without another word he left the table, smirking as he sauntered by the furious prothean.

Javik’s snarl was low and deadly. He was going to kill the drell if it was the last thing he did. His eyes narrowed as he watched the drell step into the elevator. He watched the numbers on the elevator rise and stop at the Aaran’s room.

He hissed and stormed toward the elevator, but stopped when Aaran joined him there. He watched as she pressed the button for her room. He could feel she was calm, collect, and joyful now that the drell was on board.

He pressed the button for his floor and turned to Aaran. “I don’t think the drell should be onboard,” he stated coldly.

“Oh? Why is that?” she asked with a raised brow. She waited patiently for his reply, but none was forthcoming. “Javik, I am not kicking Thane off of the ship without a good reason.”

Javik hissed his displeasure and stalked toward Aaran, backing her in a corner. “Then remember this, Victory…” he murmured as he bent his head low and nipped her frills with his fangs. He let his territorial scent free, not bothering to hold back. He wanted to make his point loud and clear with regards to the drell. “Just think of the pleasure I can give you that he cannot,” he whispered huskily as he felt her nails bite into his the back of his neck.

He worked his way up to her mouth, and nipped at her lower lip until she parted them. He groaned as he tasted her, pressing more firmly against her as her scent mingled with his.

Javik backed away when the doors opened to his floor. He smirked as he saw her dazed look. “Remember what I said, Aaran. He will not be able to give you the pleasure I can,” he stated before walking confidently out of the elevator.

Aaran stared at the elevator door, stunned. She thought about running out of the elevator and continuing this in his room, but she couldn’t. She had a conference with the councillors in her room and she couldn’t miss it for a romp with Javik; no matter how pleasurable it would be. With a sigh she pressed the button to her room.


	25. Chapter 25

Garrus sat across from Thane, smirking. “I would sleep lightly tonight,” Garrus murmured.

Thane shrugged his shoulders. “This was your plan,” he answered.

“Yeah, well I didn’t mean to actually push it that far; going into the elevator all the way to her room,” Garrus chuckled.

“True, but his reactions were well worth the extra work and it’s been awhile since I’ve used the ducts,” Thane answered with a smirk.

“So how long are you going to keep this up?” Garrus asked curiously.

“Until it’s not needed anymore. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s Aaran,” Thane said quietly.

“Well hopefully your plan doesn’t kill you in the end,” Garrus muttered, shaking his head. “You do realize that he believes you are trying to steal Aaran.”

“Good. It will make him work harder,” Thane murmured with a grin. “So what does Aaran have planned next?”

“Not sure. Haven’t seen her yet today,” Garrus answered, his jovial look turning to concern. “EDI, where is the location of Commander Shepard?”

“Commander Shepard is presently in Javik’s room,” EDI answered before blinking off. Both men shared a look and chuckled.

“Maybe I won’t have to continue,” Thane murmured with a smug smile.

“Don’t bet on it. We are talking about two of the most stubborn people alive. I never believed there was someone as stubborn as Aaran, and I was right. It took a prothean coming from a different time. But I mean it, Thane, be careful. Javik will not hesitate to take action,” Garrus told him.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooo~

“ **You requested my presence, Javik** ,” Aaran muttered as she entered his room without announcing herself. She knew that there was no need. He would sense her presence. She was surprised that he didn’t turn toward her right away. His back was ramrod straight and his hands were gripping the water basin so tightly that his knuckles appeared white and his arms quivered.

She thought about walking over and touching him, but decided against it. “ **Javik, you called me here. What is it**?” Aaran asked once more. Silence followed. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. This wasn’t the Javik she knew.

She walked over to him hesitantly and lightly touched the bare skin on the side of his neck. Rage, frustration, betrayal and hurt rolled over her in waves. Some of it almost brought tears to her eyes.  Other emotions burned through her, igniting her own anger on his behalf.

“ **You weren’t with him**?” Javik asked. His voice was soft, filled with an uncertainty that was foreign to hear from the stoic prothean.

“ **With who**?” Aaran asked.

“ **That drell**!” Javik spat in anger, his voice ending in a hiss of warning.

Aaran couldn’t help the chuckle that left her. The thought of doing anything with Thane was absurd to her. She didn’t see the drell in that light, nor could she imagine anything intimate with him. She shook her head, afraid of opening her mouth and speaking. She wasn’t sure what would come out if she did.

Javik waited till Aaran got control of herself. He glowered at her for her good humor. He didn’t find this funny at all. “ **I saw him heading up to your room** ,” he snapped.

“ **Well, when I went there to talk with the Council he wasn’t there** ,” she answered thoughtfully. “ **He probably used one of the ducts… The real question is why would he make you believe something that isn’t true**.”

Javik fell quiet. “ **The turian probably put him up to this** ,” he muttered as a thought came to him. He’d noticed how protective the turian was of Aaran and had seen the knowing looks he’d been getting from him. He didn’t understand this era. These people made no sense. If the turian was trying to push him to Aaran why didn’t he just say something? Besides, the turian should know that the war was more important than emotions.

“ **Nothing is more important than emotions. I should know** ,” Aaran said softly and let her hand drop before her memories of Pallin were shown.

“ **Why do you say that**?” Javik asked. “ **You know as well as I that emotions cloud the mind**.”

“ **It may, if you allow it, but it also gives you a reason to fight. It keeps you sane while everything else falls down around you,** ” Aaran murmured as she relived old memories of Pallin and herself. It tore her up when he died, but there were so many good memories she could relive.

Javik watched her eyes cloud over. He reached out and took her hand in his. Her memories washed over him. There was another turian that was always there for her. He gave her comfort and support when she needed it most. Her emotions were mixed within the memories, showing how much it had helped her and kept her sane as her body changed and people died around her.

He was vengeance, but could he be more? He’d sworn to avenge his people. Could he uphold the promise if he gave in and did what he wanted?

“ **I am Victory, and there is nothing that will stop me from fulfilling that name. I will see the reapers wiped out. I will see them gone, with or without you by my side** ,” Aaran murmured before taking her hand from his. She didn’t say a word as she walked out of his room. There wasn’t much else she could say. She’d already quit fighting. Last night she had made the decision to stop fighting what was happening between them and let it happen, for good or bad. It was too tiring to deny it any longer.

                                                                           ~oooooooooo~

Javik paced his room in frustration. He needed answers. If his people had been alive he would go to his friends, but he had none here. He had comrades, but that wasn’t the same. He scowled and a low growl of annoyance slipped out.

“EDI, where is Garrus?” Javik asked. He didn’t know who else to turn to. The turian was trying his best to push him to Aaran. Well he could answer the questions.

“Garrus is with Sere Krios in Life Support,” EDI answered.

“Let the turian know that I wish to speak with him without the drell,” Javik growled.

“I have informed him,” EDI announced before blinking out.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooo~

Joker sat in his chair doing a quick systems check before Aaran got tired of the doctor and lost all control. He still wondered how the doctor had been able to check on Aaran without people dying. He remembered how rough she had looked when boarding the ship after making sure Thane had survived their experiment.

He thought for sure that Chakwas would never be able to scan her since the commander bolted to her room. He also wondered how much Javik had to play in Aaran going to the doctor. Probably quite a bit.

He glanced at the galactic calendar and smirked. He still had a chance to win the big bet. He only hoped the commander and Javik would hurry this up. He was running out of time. “What was that all about?” Joker asked when EDI finished speaking with Javik. He hoped it was something in his favor.

“Javik wishes to speak with Officer Vakarian,” EDI answered. She thought about telling him about the readings she taken of Javik, but decided to let him wonder for the time being.

“Oh,” Joker mumbled and turned back to his scans. He slumped in his chair and prayed he didn’t lose to Garrus. He would never hear the end of it.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooo~

Garrus walked into Javik’s room and wondered what in the world was going on. He found the prothean by a basin of water with Aaran’s scent strong in the room. “You wanted to talk to me?” Garrus said.

“What is Aaran’s relationship with the drell?” Javik asked. Garrus flinched as the prothean basically spat out the word ‘drell’ as if it burned his tongue.

“You’d have to ask them,” Garrus murmured, hoping the prothean didn’t touch him. It was an unfair advantage both Javik and Aaran had on him.

“Don’t lie. I can smell it when you do,” Javik hissed as he stormed over to Garrus.

“You want the answer to that question, ask one of them,” Garrus stated, not backing down from the glowering prothean.

“Aaran says nothing, but I saw the look on her face when he walked out of the procedure,” Javik hissed.

“If this is all you wanted to know about…” Garrus started, but stopped when the prothean interrupted him once more.

“No it’s not. Pallin… who was he?” Javik asked quietly.

“Executor Verani Pallin was the head of C-Sec,” Garrus answered calmly.

“I saw some of Aaran’s memories of him. How long were they together?” he asked.

“Why don’t you ask her?” Garrus asked curiously.

“No. It will cause her pain, and I will not be the one to cause her pain,” Javik growled and then stopped dead when he realized what he’d just said out loud.

“They were together for seven years or more. They were a mated pair,” Garrus answered, not sure what the prothean’s reaction would be.

“So she does know….” Javik murmured, looking thoughtfully in his basin of water. He flashed back to Aaran’s memories of how happy she had been. Her mate had brought her support, been there for her as a mate should be. “That is all I need to know,” he said dismissively.

“Javik, why did you want to know about Verani?” Garrus asked.

“That is not your concern,” Javik stated as he composed himself once more. He glared angrily at the turian until he left the room.

                                                                           ~ooooooooooooooo~

Garrus took his seat once more in Thane’s room. “So how much did you hear?” he asked the drell.

“Enough to know that if he sees me alone, I may as well not have had that procedure,” Thane answered with amusement.

“Very true, but I wonder why he was asking about Verani,” Garrus murmured thoughtfully.

“We may never know, and I don’t think it would be prudent to ask again,” Thane said with a chuckle. “But I did notice one thing…”

“Oh? What was that?” Garrus asked curiously.

“He said the look in her eyes changed when she saw me standing at the door after the procedure, but he forgot one thing. Her scent changed as soon as he appeared,” Thane murmured with a knowing look.

“Yeah I noticed that too. Had a hard time standing beside her. She was happy to see you alive, but him…” he shared the knowing look with a grin. “If they would quit their stubbornness this would be over quickly and you won’t have to worry about losing your life onboard the ship.”

“I’m not worried. Remember that I’m used to having my life in danger always; especially when it involves Aaran. She tends to take on the most challenging missions,” Thane uttered.

“Very true,” Garrus nodded with a sigh. He let the companionable silence wash over him as he plotted and planned. He could see Thane was doing the very same thing. They were going to get Javik and Aaran together or die trying. 

                                                            ~oooooooooooo~

Javik paced in front of Aaran’s door nervously. He knew she was in a meeting right now and would be free in a few moments. He wasn’t sure how she was going to react to what he was about to do. He hoped she would understand what it meant.

He glanced down at his omnitool and nodded. It was the best one he’d found. He only hoped she would like it. It had taken him a while to find these things, but with EDI’s help and a sworn promise that she wouldn’t inform anyone he finally found what he wanted.

He jumped when the doors finally opened. Aaran stood there looking tired and worn. “ **What is it, Javik**?” she asked. Her soothing voice washed over him, even though there was a strain to it. Her voice affected him like no other, even the females he had once known.

“ **I have something for you, Aaran** ,” Javik murmured as he followed her into her room. He stopped at the pictures on her desk. He placed a new frame on her desk and pulled up the files he wanted. He transferred them to the holo frame. He watched her expression when he did it. Her expression matched what coming to him through their bond.

Joy, happiness, awe, sadness, and gratitude… “ **How**?” she whispered, running a loving finger along the picture of her mother. She then switched the picture to her father. It wasn’t an actual picture, but one he was able to create with some help.

“ **EDI aided me** ,” Javik answered.

“ **Why are you nervous**?” she asked him. She felt the tension in his body. He couldn’t believe it. She felt the link, too.

“ **I was not sure if you wanted these memories** ,” he answered honestly.

She glanced at the pictures on her desk, her eyes landing on one nervously. It was one that she and Pallin had taken. He read her easily and had to stop her from doing what she thought was right. “ **No, leave it. Do not delete a loved one** ,” Javik murmured, taking her hand in his and pulling her closer.

“ **What is it that you want, Javik**?” Aaran asked, her eyes demanding truth from him.

“ **For the both of us to quit running** ,” Javik answered before backing his statement with a kiss filled with all his emotions. He ran his fingers along the gland on the bottom of her jaw, stimulating her bonding scent. “ **Mine**!”

“ **Yours** ,” Aaran murmured with a soft smile her she let her scent free, covering them both.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am still learning this site, and that means I just learnt something new. All chapter of every story I placed on this site will be replaced with the proper formatting. 
> 
> Also I would like to thank Jen for all the hard work she put into this chapter correcting it. 
> 
> Bold type is where they are speaking Prothean, to warn readers.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Aaran scowled as she stood in front of Councillor Sparatus and Ambassador Dallin. They had requested her presence, and as they were her superiors she had to listen.

“Commander, what do you know of this prothean? Is it safe to have him onboard?” Sparatus asked.

“About as safe as it is to have me onboard,” Aaran answered with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t call you safe if I am to go by the reports, but you are not a prothean. We know next to nothing about his race. I still believe he should be studied,” Sparatus stated calmly, though he saw the rage on Shepard’s face.

“Councilor, I would be careful what you say. Javik is an important part of my team and his knowledge of the reapers has been essential to our success. And you are forgetting a very important thing. I am half Prothean,” Shepard spat with a sneering smile as Sparatus’ mandibles dropped.

“Why wasn’t I notified about this?” Sparatus asked, glaring at Dallin.

“You’ve just proven why you were never told. If there wasn’t a reaper threat right now, and you didn’t need me to save your asses once more, I would be in one of those facilities that no one is supposed to know about. You would be studying and dissecting me, just to see what makes me unique. So answer the question yourself, Sparatus. Why would people I trust keep you in the dark?” she asked scathingly.

“The people who hid this could lose their positions for it,” Sparatus stated coldly.

“And to think… I just saved your ass for the second time. Go figure,” Aaran stated quietly. She glared at the councillor and made up her mind.

“Aaran, don’t do It,” Dallin warned.

“I have to. I have to know that he won’t turn on me as soon as I walk out that door,” Aaran stated as she closed the distance between her and Sparatus. She grasped his hand firmly. The first emotion she detected nearly cancelled all the others - fear. There was so much of it, but beneath that there was confusion, betrayal and frustration. She searched deeper and found what caused the confusion. A human was holding his hand and he didn’t feel disgusted. She almost rolled her eyes at that.

The feeling of betrayal was toward Dallin, a person he trusted. “He and several others did it to protect me. They didn’t want to see me in one of those science labs and knew I would end up there eventually. Can you really blame him, Sparatus?” she asked softly.

Surprise flared up through their touch and she nearly jumped. She searched for the cause of the frustration and hoped that it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t need any more odd emotions from this turian toward her. She sighed in relief when she saw that the frustration was aimed at the reapers. She could understand and agreed with that. Shit, she was frustrated, too.

“How many know?” Sparatus asked.

“Quite a few actually. Anderson, Hacket and Pallin knew. Also Dallin and John, a human doctor. He was the only one who was allowed access to my file until I boarded the Normandy. Then there is the geneticist. He was the one who discovered that I was half Prothean. A few members of my team know, as well, and now you,” Aaran explained as she released his hand.

“Why did you take my hand?” Sparatus asked curiously as he rubbed his two fingers together with a confused look.

“So I could read you,” she answered with a shrug. “Don’t ask. Even if I explain it you won’t understand it. Not many do.”

“I want Dallin onboard the Normandy. He will be your go between with the council. I have the salarian and asari backing you, but they want something in return. They will contact you shortly with more details. I want all documents pertaining to you kept from the council,” Sparatus ordered.

“I can’t promise that. Earth was hit, so I don’t know if the documents are still around or not,” Aaran muttered.

“Then I wish to speak with this human doctor,” Sparatus stated and watched her very closely. He remembered when he first met this half breed. She had looked human, smelled mostly human, but was never as pushy as a human. She always thought before reacting most of the time. Then he saw her after she died. She didn’t look like the same woman. Now she appeared to have changed even more. Not physically, but there was a new hardness in her eyes that wasn’t there before. He wondered what else she had seen that they hadn’t. If she saw things through touch he could only imagine the horrors she witnessed on a daily basis.

“He’s here on the Citadel. Contact him and arrange a meeting,” Aaran said with a shake of her head. “You’ll want to see Frank, too. He is on the Citadel, as well.”

“Why isn’t John on the Normandy with you?” Sparatus asked curiously.

“When I was on the first Normandy, there was a doctor who took over my case. John’s father died, so he wasn’t able to be there. Ever since then Dr. Chakwas has been taking care of me,” Shepard answered and waited patiently for the next question. She was surprised this meeting was going this well, but she was still leery about his future intentions.

“With the amount of action the Normandy sees I am surprised that Dr. Chakwas is able to keep up,” Sparatus commented thoughtfully.

“Sometimes she is over-worked,” Aaran answered, trying to hide all emotions now. She really wanted to touch the turian again just to see what he was thinking. She didn’t like this line of questioning. It worried her. She hoped he wasn’t planning to remove Chakwas.

“Most turian vessels that encounter many battles have two doctors onboard. After I am finished with my discussion with Dr. John, I will send him to the Normandy. Once he arrives you may leave the Citadel, but not until then,” Sparatus ordered and turned his back on them.

Aaran’s eyes widened when she noticed the way he dismissed her. It irked her and she growled low in her chest. “Remember one thing, Councillor. I’ve saved your ass twice now from the beings that you claimed didn’t even exist. You made me look like a lunatic both while I was alive and after my death. You owe me for that,” Aaran spat before walking out of his office. Sparatus watched her walk out wondering what she had planned. He hadn’t liked the look in her eyes or the sound of her voice. He wasn’t sure what she was going to ask for and that worried him more.

                                                                                          ~oooooooooooo~

“Finished with the turian?” Javik asked when he stepped out of the shadows by the door. Aaran smirked when Dallin jumped.

“Yeah. We’ve reached an understanding of sorts and he’s found more ways to help us out,” Aaran answered as she moved beside Javik. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you. I could feel your frustration and nervousness,” Javik stated as he purposely ignored the other turian listening in on the conversation.

“When dealing with the Council I always feel that way,” Shepard muttered. “Used to be that I could hang up on them when they got too annoying. Now they want their meetings face-to-face.”

“It was no different in my time. There were simply more assassinations of politicians that annoyed the people,” Javik said with a lethal grin. “Should think about it with this politician before he becomes too much of a problem.”

“No, we are not killing the higher-ups,” Aaran grumbled with a scowl.

“Pity. It would have been amusing,” Javik murmured and turned his attention to the new turian. His scowled deepened. He didn’t need another turian on the ship. Garrus was bad enough and now he would have this one stalking them. At least Garrus left them alone most of the time; except when he was plotting something.

“Oh, Javik, this is Dallin. He is my ambassador and friend,” Aaran introduced. “Dallin, this is Javik, the prothean Sparatus was talking about.”

Dallin eyed the prothean and nodded his head politely, then turned his attention back to Aaran. “Where do I find your ship?” he asked.

“Come with us and I’ll take your there. I have to go there as it is,” Aaran said and started heading for the elevators. She wasn’t surprised when Javik stood between Dallin and her. She found it amusing.

“When I board I’ll ask your yeoman to show me to a room. Then I will contact the other two councillors and begin working. Do I have your permission to negotiate with them?” Dallin asked, eyeing the scowling prothean at Aaran’s side.

“Yes, you can handle that. I don’t have the diplomacy to deal with them right now. What we need is manpower and resources. We need a large army to defeat the reapers,” Shepard stated.

“Do you wish to have the armies sent straight to earth?” Dallin asked.

“No. When we return to earth it’s going to be in one battle. If we send armies there now we will lose them. Have scientists sent to the Crucible - particularly any who have knowledge of prothean history – to find more information on the Catalyst,” she said thoughtfully.

“I will get on this as soon as I get settled in my room,” Dallin murmured. He focused his attention forward and nearly stumbled. He had heard the rumors about the Normandy,  read the stories and even saw pictures, but it didn’t prepare him for the reality of it. The ship was sleek and larger than he expected. He could see this ship had survived many battles already and still looked strong. Though he couldn’t help but wonder about its safety after so much abuse.

He stepped into the decontamination area and waited. He didn’t bother listening to Shepard speak with her mate. No one had to tell him. The scent that clung to her belonged to Javik. He smiled slightly, happy that Shepard had found someone since Pallin’s passing.

Dallin stepped out of decontamination and his eyes opened even wider than before. He hadn’t been expecting this… This ship was far more advanced than he originally thought. Most of the technology surpassed everything he’d seen on other vessels. He turned his attention to a young female that moved toward them. He listened as she gave Shepard updates and was impressed with the way Shepard ran her vessel.

“Shepard, we have an emergency call from the quarians,” Traynor stated.

“Send a message to them stating that we will be coming to help as soon as I have clearance for departure from the Council,” Shepard ordered before moving to her emails. She glanced at her yeoman and saw that she had sent out the message already. “Traynor, have a room for Dallin readied and also another for Dr. John when he arrives. Notify Dr. Chakwas that she will be receiving help in the medbay.”

“I’ll get on that right away,” Traynor murmured as she motioned for the new turian to follow her.

Shepard sighed in relief that she didn’t have more things to do. Her body stilled as hands were placed on her shoulders. “You need to rest before we depart the station,” Javik murmured, trying to steer her toward the elevators.

“Don’t have time to rest. To many things to do right now,” Aaran argued.

“Either you go willingly or I will carry you off this bridge like a child, Aaran,” he warned with an evil glint in his eyes.

“Don’t even think it. I am not leaving the CIC until I am finished,” Aaran snapped coldly.

Javik smirked and placed his hands on her neck. He thrust some of his memories into her mind and watched as her eyes drooped and her body went limp. He smiled smugly as he picked her up carefully and walked onto the elevator. He knew he would need to be in his own room with the doors locked and maybe a gun in hand when she woke, but it was better than having her wear herself out.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guy for the very long wait. But real life has been a bitch. I've been working nights and basically having no time to do anything. Now that my schedule has settled I can keep up with my chapters properly.

**Chapter 27**

Javik rubbed his throbbing cheek where Aaran’s fist had connected a few hours ago; after she’d waken. He knew he shouldn’t have opened the door when he felt her ire. But it was his mate on the other side of the door, so out of stupidity – though he was never going to admit that out loud – he opened the door. He was filled with contentment over seeing his mate was standing there. That had lasted only a few seconds and then that contentedness changed to pain.

He scowled in his basin of water and wondered how he was going to calm the raging female. It seemed that her human genes were working perfectly. She seemed more emotional than normal. A few nights before he had tried to mate with her, but she had stopped him dead. She said that he would have to wait until her menstruation stopped. He had scoured the net for information and what he found didn’t bring any comfort.

“Commander Javik, Commander Shepard requests your presence at the shuttle,” EDI stated.

“I bet that wasn’t how she put it,” Javik muttered out loud as he headed quickly to the door.

He heard the sound of EDI’s voice, but ignored her answer. It wasn’t important. All that mattered was keeping his mate contended. He wondered how that was going to be possible. It was so much easier being mated to another prothean. At least they weren’t wary of being read constantly, but Aaran… she disliked it.

There were times when she liked it very much, he thought with a grin; remembering the night they had spent together.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Javik scowled when he saw the drell standing there with Vega and the quarian. He was the last person he wanted to see. “What is the mission?” Javik asked Vega, ignoring the drell standing nearby.

“Don’t know. Shepard didn’t say anything. Ordered us to meet her down here,” Vega answered with a confused look. Javik could understand; Aaran would never begin a mission without a plan. He hoped this time would be the same.

“Where is the turian?” Javik asked, surprised not to see him here.

“He is in the front battery,” Thane answered, ignoring the scowl on Javik’s face.

Javik glanced sharply to the door and scented the air. He knew she was near; her scent came to him easily. He didn’t need to wait long before she showed up. She looked irritated. He wondered if she had been speaking with the other Council members once more. It seemed to happen more often since that other turian came onboard.

“What is the mission?” Javik asked her.

“We are going to infiltrate a geth dreadnought,” she stated with a shrug.

Javik blinked slowly, trying to figure out who the geth were. He didn’t like the sound of this mission, especially when the word infiltrate was used. He searched Aaran’s face for any signs of unease. When none appeared he moved closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He was surprised that she didn’t move away or tell him to remove him hand. With a smirk he allowed himself to read her.

_Aaron stood in a small room, looking down at a machine. Her focus was on a piece of armor embedded in the machine’s chest. He felt her shock, confusion, and worry. He didn’t understand why she would have these emotions. The piece of metal came more into focus as she stepped forward. The N7 logo was engraved on it. He had seen Aaran wear that same logo many times, but didn’t understand the meaning._

_His eyes widened when she ordered EDI to activate the machine. He listened intently as the two of them talked and the machine answered all of her questions. The machine seemed in awe of Aaron, if that was possible._

_Now he had his answer. The geth were machines._

He broke the connection, watching the commander carefully. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked, the common language tasting bitter in his mouth. He preferred to speak with her in his native language.

“The Quarians need our help, I am not going to turn my back on them,” Aaran snapped, glaring at him.

Javik nodded, not bothering to say what he was actually thinking. He knew if he told her that this was a stupid idea she would turn her anger on him.

                                                                                          ~ooooooooooooo~

Javik stood beside the quarian and watched as his mate walked through the broken tube leading to the dreadnaught. He could feel her fear as if it was his own. He knew what she was thinking. He had seen her death, the cold arms of space embracing her as she fell to her death. Once more she was walking through the very thing that had cost her everything years before.

“ _Aaran, mate, you are not alone,” he murmured in the Prothean dialect so the others wouldn’t understand._

_“Javik, now is not the time,” Aaran muttered. It was taking her full concentration to keep from freaking out._

_“I think now is the time,” He stated. “You need someone who can be there for you, Aaran.”_

_“What do you want, Javik?” Aaran hissed._

_“I already stated what I want, but you told me that you were on this menstruation thing,” Javik spat the word as if it was something foul._

_“Javik…” Aaran hissed with annoyance._

_“Yes?” Javik said innocently as she took the final step and made it on the other side. Her fear had disappeared the more he annoyed her. He was happy that she was safe and the fear no longer controlled her._

_Aaran stopped and looked at her surroundings. Her eyes narrowed and she smirked. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” she accused._

_“Why would I do something like that?” Javik asked._

_“I don’t know…” Aaran murmured slowly._

_“In time you will, mate,” Javik answered before breaking contact._

**~oooooooooooooo~**

“What was that all about?” the quarian asked. Javik ignored her with a scowl. He wasn’t about to enlighten her. It would have been useless as far as he was concerned. He also didn’t think she had to the right to know.

“Don’t ask. You won’t get an answer out of him,” Vega told her with a shake of his head.

Their eyes snapped to the dreadnaught when they heard gunfire. Javik moved to the door quickly, his hands lit with biotics; ready to defend his mate. He growled low at the knowledge that he couldn’t do anything.

“It looks like the geth have an attitude problem this time around,” he heard Aaran muttered through the coms.

“Oh?” Vega commented.

“Yeah, just killed a few of them. Going to open the airlock right now,” Aaran informed them.

Javik forced himself not to pace as they waited for the thick metal doors to unlock. When he heard the hiss of air, his worry slowly dwindled to nothing. When he saw her, it disappeared. He could see that she had not been harmed. Her eyes were bright and alert for the oncoming fight. He could see that she was looking forward to it.

He smiled with amusement. She may have a few genes that were human and he could live with that, but she was a true prothean. “Victory,” he greeted with a bow of his head, a show of respect to his mate.

“Vengence,” Aaran returned the gesture. He felt his chest puff out in pride and grinned at her.

                                                            ~oooooooooooooo~

Aaran scowled as she shot down another geth. She didn’t know how many were on this ship, but so far too many. She hissed as the bullet wound in her arm throbbed, she wasn’t about to use the medigel yet. Not until she had a worse injury.

She glanced at the others. Javik seemed fine, but he hid his pain better than most. Thane was as pristine as usual, and Tali had a slight limp. She nodded to Thane and watched as he disappeared once more. He was their scout.

“Commander, we are near the power source, and I believe that you will not like what you find,” Thane murmured.

“What?” Aaran asked.

“You’ll have to see it for yourself,” Thane answered, his voice low with warning that placed Aaran on edge. “Be warned there are quite a few geth in this area. I will cover you as you come in through the door.”

Aaran nodded and walked through the door, Javik and Tali close behind her. Shepard stopped dead when she saw Legion strung up, dangling with leads attached to him.

“While I save Legion, the three of you keep these bastards off my back,” Aaran ordered before moving quickly across the room to a control panel.

She listened to the gunfire, paying more attention to the shots that her team was taking. With one ear she listened to the orders Javik was barking out. She smirked. They were the exact same orders that she would have given. “Victor, three geth heading your way,” Javik warned.

“I have them in my sights,” Thane murmured and took out the closest one. He didn’t have time to take out the other ones before they were too close for a safe shot. He watched Shepard for a moment and turned his attention back to Javik and Tali when he knew Shepard would be fine on her own.

He glanced toward Shepard and watched as the last opponent fell, “All clear, Shepard,” Javik stated over the coms. Thane kept silent. Javik’s orders had sounded a lot like orders that Aaran would give. He wondered how closely those two were connected.

                                                                           ~oooooooooooooo~

Aaran fell back onto her bed. She didn’t want to go through a four-hour debriefing again. She was tired, sore and her arm throbbed, but she wasn’t going to get it checked. Chakwas was busy enough. The last time she’d seen John he was busy looking over her chart, reacquainting himself with her physiology. She didn’t want to bother him yet.

Her attention turned toward her door when it opened. She didn’t need to be told who it was. Javik walked through, looking weary. He sat heavily on her bed, his tiredness showing. “What are you doing here?” Aaran asked with narrowed eyes.

“I am where I belong, mate,” Javik stated as he lay down beside her. His eyes closed, his face slowly relaxing as sleep claimed him. She raised a brow, having not a clue what to do. She wanted to scream, yell or rant; but seeing him like this, she couldn’t.

With a small smile she lay down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. Contentment filled her. She wasn’t sure if it was hers or his, but she didn’t want it to stop. With a low purr she drifted off to sleep. Her purrs grew louder as she felt his arms surround her, holding her close to his warm body.

A small smile stayed in place as she tumbled into deep sleep. Javik opened his eyes and smiled into the darkness as he watched his mate drift off to sleep.   


	28. Chapter 28

**So I have been gone for a very long time, but now I am back. I disappeared all of a sudden even to me, my computer broke down, I was using other people’s computers until 7 days ago. Finally got my new computer and have been working on this chapter. So I hope I still have readers, and I totally understand if I don’t.**

**Now for those of you who have played the Citadel DLC well the next few chapters is all about that DLC. There will be spoilers from that DLC, and changes to suit my character and Javik. So it won’t be exactly like the DLC. I used a few lines from the DLC, to warn you.**

**Hope everyone enjoys, going to work on the next chapter now and hopefully it will be out later next week.**

**Italics is Aaran and Javik speaking Prothean.**

Javik stopped when he heard Aaran’s voice. He could hear the fatigue and frustration in her voce. Slowly he walked into the coms room and waited until her discussion with Admiral Hackett was over. He’d read the message she had received from this human, telling her to take some shore leave and visit the apartment they had given her. He had figured he would find her here arguing about shore leave. After their last argument about the fact that she needed rest he knew that there would be a fight about this apartment. He knew that he had been right as he listened to the conversation. He had to grin when the admiral made it an order, giving Aaran no choice but to comply.  

“Javik, did you need something?” Aaran asked.

“No. You should go to see the apartment that he spoke of, though,” Javik stated.

“That doesn’t sound like you. It would mean taking a break from the war,” Aaran scoffed. “Remember, we are at war, not looking for vacation time.”

“You need this time, Victory. You are barely sleeping or eating, and your frills are pale and dry. This war will kill you before its end if this keeps up,” Javik bit out coldly.

“Javik, it’s not that simple,” Aaran muttered. “If I take this time, more people could die when there was a chance that I could have saved them. Am I supposed to allow them to sacrifice themselves so that I can relax?” she spat out belligerently.

“One or two days won’t make a difference. If a planet falls in that time period, then it was meant to be. You wouldn’t have been able to save them, anyway,” Javik argued back. “Aaran, you need this time and you will get it - even if I have to carry you off this ship and to that apartment myself.”

“Fine, but no longer than two days,” Aaran muttered, shaking her head in frustration.

“You will stay until you’ve gotten some of your fire back,” Javik warned. “These primitives need you, and for you to be any use….”

“Enough! I already said I would go and everyone else will have shore leave - including you!” Aaran ordered with a glare.

“I do not need shore leave,” Javik grumbled.

“If you want me to go on shore leave then you are having one as well,” Aaran warned. “Or as soon as I have finished what I have to do on the Citadel we will leave and continue on with the war!”

“Aaran!” Javik warned.

“Warn me all you want. Those are my terms, mate!” she retorted

“Fine,” he hissed irritably. His eyes narrowed as she smirked and walked away. It irked him that they were taking time from the war, but he could see that it was all becoming too much for her. She needed this break. He’d read through her files and knew that she had seen nothing but war in years – both against enemies and her own people in some attempt to make them see the truth. He knew that it would take its toll on someone even as strong as his mate.

~ooooooooooo~

Aaran stared at the door that led to her new apartment. She didn’t like this. She should be out there fighting, not taking a break. This was the last thing that she should be doing. With a sigh of annoyance she punched in the code and entered. Her eyes widened when she saw the spacious layout. It reminded her of her old place. Her former apartment hadn’t been nearly as lavish, but this one still reminded her of it.

She walked through the rooms listening to some datapads left for her, learning more about her old captain. She stopped dead when she came to one datapad. Her eyes widened and her hands shook as she reread the words.

It was a digital copy of ownership papers on her old apartment, still printed in her name. Anderson and Dallin had repaired and continued paying for it after Sovereign’s attack on the Citadel. She brushed away the tear that trailed down her cheek.

She glanced around the place once more and walked out. There was only one place she wanted to go - _needed_ to go. She moved quickly through the throng of people and walked into her old apartment. Fear, anger, and peace overwhelmed her.

The flooring had been changed, as had the rug. She didn’t need to be told why. She walked through it. Pictures still lined the walls, free of dust. Someone had been cleaning. Her old medals and commendations were still in their case. The objects that Pallin had moved in still were on the shelves. His paperwork was still on her desk, along with the computer he brought over. It was like nothing had changed. She almost thought that he would be home in a few minutes, but she knew that was a lie.

That thought should have been agony, but it wasn’t. It left a slight throb in her chest to realize that a good man wouldn’t be returning, but it didn’t bring her to tears as it once had. Even the pictures of the two of them together that lined the walls didn’t elicit the same emotions as it once had when she thought of this place.

She knelt down and touched the floor lightly. It had been years and the flooring had been changed, but there were still remnants of him here. There was still pain, but no fear, anger and hate for her. Her eyes caught something shiny and she smile as she picked up the ring that she had had made especially for him.

She closed her eyes, clutching the piece of metal in her clenched fist and focused hard. _Goodbye, my love. Live your life as you should…_ His words faded as she opened her eyes. He had known he was going to die and his final thoughts had been for her. He had wanted her to move on and not dwell on him. New tears fell down her cheek and she ignored them.

“Goodbye, Verani,” she whispered and headed for the door. It closed behind her and she felt like a weight had been lifted. An old part of her life had been closed, as it should have been all along.

~ooooooooooooo~

Aaran sat in the office chair in her new apartment. She smiled peacefully until the computer pinged, notifying her of an incoming message. She rolled her eyes, checking the message. Her eyes widened when she saw it was from Joker. He was inviting her out to lunch. 

It was a surprise, but lunch sounded good. She wondered if Javik was taking a break like she had ordered. She highly doubted it. She would be very surprised if he did. She knew the rest of the crew was off the ship by her orders. Dallin was at the embassy and the two doctors were not in their labs. She’d made sure of that. She had ordered EDI to lock the lab down. Garrus was locked out of the forward battery so she knew that he was off the ship.

She glanced at the time and left the apartment. The restaurant he’d mentioned was rather swank. She wondered how Joker had pulled this off then decided that she honestly didn’t want to know. She knew there were probably bribes and a few other things involved, so it was best that she didn’t know.

~oooooooooooooooooo~

Her mouth nearly dropped open when she was waved into the club. She’d thought for sure that she would have to wait behind the long line of potential customers. But that didn’t happen. One of the employees saw her and waved her through with a smile. It wasn’t something that she was accustomed to experiencing. She spotted Joker lazing back in his seat, a smirk on his face.

“I gotta ask… why here of all places?” Aaran asked with a shake of her head when she took her seat.

“Hey, this was your idea,” Joker said with a chuckle.

“Uh, no it wasn’t. I got your message…” Aaran muttered slowly and glanced around nervously. Her body was on alert now. Something wasn’t right.

“Don’t tell me…” Joker began. He trailed off as someone at the entrance caught his attention.

“Shit. This doesn’t look good. Why am I not surprised?” Joker asked mockingly.

“Why are you looking around like that?” Aaran asked with an amused shake of her head. She watched as Joker looked everywhere as if seeing it for the first time.

“Just getting a good look at the restaurant before you destroy it,” he mumbled with a mild glare.

“Do you honestly think something is going to happen, especially in a restaurant like this?” Aaran asked with a roll of her eyes.

“YES!” he exclaimed.

“Hmm… You’re probably right, since neither of us sent the invitation,” Shepard muttered. She glanced over to the entrance way and saw the same girl still making a commotion. She heard her name shouted a few times, but thought nothing of it. She was used to people trying to get her attention, an autograph or a picture… The idea brought up bad memories of a man name Conner or something like that. She remembered his face very well.

“Looks like you have another admirer,” Joker said with a snicker.

“Hopefully not as annoying as that other guy was. That’s all I need,” Aaran muttered.

“Don’t look now, but she got through,” Joker muttered as he watched the woman walk toward them. Aaran glanced over her shoulder and watched the woman rush their way.

She thought about reaching out and touching the woman just to see if she should be worried of a stalker, but she held herself back. She saw the laughter in Joker’s eyes and forced herself not to roll her own.

“Commander Shepard, you are a hard person for find. There has been a security breach with you ID. It seems that someone wants you dead,” The woman said quickly, her anxiety making her stumble over her words.

“Slow down! Now from the top,” Aaran ordered.

“Commander Shepard, I am Staff Analyst Maya Brooks - excuse me - Alliance Intelligence. As I said there are people trying to kill you!” the woman said quickly. 

“Yeah, I think she’s aware of that,” Joker quipped, rolling his eyes.

“No! I don’t mean Cerberus and the Reapers! I mean other people. New people! They’re…it’s…” She sighed, shaking her head as she stumbled over her words. She could see the disbelief and irritation in Shepard’s eyes. It made her more nervous, but she had to continue. “Someone is hacking your account. Com channels, personal records. They’re targeting you, specifically.” 

“Slow down! Now from the top,” Aaran ordered once again.

The intel isn’t definitive yet. Last time I guessed without definitive intel, we almost landed troops on a gas giant. That was bad.”

 “Who?” Aaron asked.

“We don’t know, but we know they are after you,” Maya answered.

“Figures. Get some shore leave and then the shit hits the fan,” Aaran muttered. “Joker….” She didn’t get to finish her sentence before armed men stormed into the restaurant.

“Shit!” Joker muttered as they took cover behind a wall.

“Get to the team,” Aaran ordered and smirked as Joker ducked down low and headed to the exit. She waited for a moment and her plan worked. One of the men noticed Joker. Quickly she grabbed him by the throat, slamming him hard into the ground. She felt the bone in his skull crunch and knew he would never get up again.

“Shepard! You used me as bait? BAIT? We’ll talk about that later,” Joker grumbled and continued for the door. Aaran grinned at his retreating back and then scowled at the gun she had just confiscated from the dead attacker. It was a cannon. The clip barely held any bullets so she would have to make each shot count.

It was routine as usual - point, shoot, kill anything that moved. The difference this time was that she needed to save someone. That wasn’t the usual scenario. Now she needed to be careful that she didn’t hit the innocent. She scowled at the gun when the last of the ammo was gone; now all she was left was her biotics. She would usually enjoy it; but with that girl out in the open, it wasn’t that safe. She hated it when she had to be very careful.

She focused on Javik’s teachings on how to control her biotics better. She was really glad now that she had listened to Javik. A dead bystander was something that she didn’t need.

It took a few minutes more, but finally she was standing next to the woman. “I’ve never seen drells use biotics like that,” the woman muttered.

Aaran didn’t bother to correct her. It was better to deceive her. She went to reach out and touch the woman, but she scurried back. Aaran found that very odd and decided to read her the first chance she got. The female was hiding something and she didn’t like it.

Her attention snapped back to the entryway. She watched as more mercenaries flowed through the door. She sighed in frustration and glared down at the woman. “Go and hide. I’ll take care of these guys,” she ordered coldly. Reading her would have to wait for another time. As soon as she was out of this mess, however, that was the first thing on her to-do list.

Shepard’s eyes widened as they opened fire. She glanced down at her feet and scowled. She had nowhere to run and she was standing on glass. This was not going well. She heard the first crack and knew she was going through; there was nothing anyone could do. She felt the glass shatter - her body dropped and the wind rushed by her as she fell. She tried grabbing onto anything to stop her fall, but that was easier said than done. Anything that she grabbed onto broke and didn’t even slow her down.

She could just imagine Javik’s reprimand when he heard about this. She so was not looking forward to it. The air left her body in a grunt as she landed hard on a catwalk. Her body hurt and her ribs ached. She knew that she had a few broken bones. Slowly she rose to her feet and a soft groan left her.  

“Commander, I found a secure terminal. Are you ok down there?” the annoying girl asked. Shepard groaned and nearly snarled her annoyance, but kept her anger to herself.

“Yeah, just fucking great!” she hissed. “How are you doing with the gun shot?” she asked.

“Um, I’m doing well now. I used medigel, a lot of it…well actually all of it,” she admitted. “I think I might have used too much… everything seems a little bouncy.”

“I think you used too much,” Aaran muttered, her voice tinged with amusement.

“So can I help with anything?” Brooks asked nervously.

“Alert C-Sec. I’ll look for a way out,” Aaran ordered.  Aaran sighed in relief when there was radio silence. She glanced around quickly and saw only one way out. She followed it as quickly as her throbbing body allowed.

Each ladder she descended sent pain shooting to her side and one leg began to throb. She wished she had the medigel, but that wasn’t possible. She slowed her movement when she saw that she would have to start jumping across buildings. She closed her eyes and hissed her aggravation. She knew this was going to hurt… a lot.

“Brooks, I see some sky cars across the distance and maybe a landing pad,” Aaran commented.

“Hold on a minute, checking the area,” Brooks stated. “Ah! Found it! It’s a sky car lot, Precision Motors.”

“Good. Get a shuttle over there. I’ll be there shortly,” Aaran ordered.

“So it turns out that C-Sec has the whole area locked down. It’s going to be a tiny bit tricky to get you a shuttle,” Brooks warned.

“Either keep at it or open a channel so that I can speak to them,” Shepard stated coldly.

“I’ll keep at it, Commander,” Brooks said hurriedly. Aaran rolled her eyes once more. She had expected that answer. “Oh and something else. Stay off your com. It’s been hacked. That is probably how they found you.”

“Who?” Aaran asked quickly.

“We don’t know,” Brooks answered.

“If you say they found me by my com, then I should be expecting them to arrive at any time,” Aaran bit out. She smirked at the silence that followed. She kept moving, keeping watch for enemies that she knew were on their way or already waiting for her.

She didn’t have far to go before she found them - or they found her. She wasn’t sure which and didn’t really care. Quickly she picked up spare ammo from one of the stores and opened fire. Now she could use her biotics without worrying about innocent victims. All the stores were closed and no civilians were around.

 _“Victory, what is going on?”_ Javik asked hurriedly. Joker had just found him, informing him that Shepard was in trouble. He wasn’t surprised by this news. He could feel her pain, but couldn’t locate her.

 _“Some new people are after me. I don’t know who it is, but they really want me dead from the looks of it,”_ Aaran muttered. _“I am heading to the sky car place called Precision Motors. Meet me there.”_

 _“I’ll meet you before then if possible,”_ Javik ordered.

“Whoever this is you can’t be on this line!” Brooks ordered.

“Silence, Primitive,” Javik hissed angrily at the woman.

“You are putting the commander in danger,” the woman warned him.

“She is already in trouble with you talking to her,” Javik bit out. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on this woman. She had put his mate in danger and he would make sure that she saw the error of her way.

“Who is this?” Brooks bit out.

“That is no concern of yours!” Javik snarled.

“Shepard, how’s it going?” Garrus asked. “Heard you found a new place to shoot up.”

“You know me, Garrus. Can’t keep out of trouble.” Aaran joked.

“Siha, I can be to you before Javik,” Thane cut in.

“Thane, I am under heavy fire. I highly doubt that you would be able to get to me without notice,” Aaran warned.

“People, the longer you speak to the commander, the easier it will be for them to find her,” Brooks warned, trying to get everyone off the coms.

“I’ll be there shortly, Siha. Stay where you are. Don’t worry, Javik. I will keep her safe until you get to her location,” Thane said urgently then broke coms.

“I’ll be waiting for you at the pick-up point as back up, Shepard,” Garrus spoke up before vanishing.

 _“Stay safe, Victory. I will be there soon. Unfortunately I will have to trust the assassin to keep you safe,”_ Javik muttered irately.

 _“Don’t worry, mate, he will keep me safe,”_ Aaran said and tried to soothe him.

Aaran took cover and waited for Thane to arrive. She honestly didn’t think that he would make it through all these people, but she had been wrong before when it came to Thane. She smirked as the fire fight calmed somewhat. While she waited she relaxed her breathing and focused on her biotics, using them to take some of the pain. She prayed that Thane had medi-gel on him. She really needed it.

She smiled when she was able to focus properly. A new feeling came to her - one that didn’t belong to her. She sensed worry and then jealously. She knew that it was Javik. He didn’t like that Thane was getting to her first. She would have to soothe him when she was with him once more. That thought alone made her pause… soothe him? Where did that come from? She didn’t have time to soothe a person. She shook her head in frustration. It was apparent that she cared for that prothean more than she thought.

“Siha, are you ready?” Thane’s voice cut across her thoughts. She glanced around quickly, but didn’t see the assassin. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Thane stepped out of the shadows. “Your mate ordered me to give you this,” Thane stated, passing her some medi-gel.

“Oh, thank god,” Aaran grinned and used two packs. “Please tell me you have a better gun than this one?”

“Yes, Siha, I have your gun,” Thane answered with a chuckle as he passed over her usual weapon.

“Now let’s get out of here,” Aaran ordered as she checked her ammo. She tucked the extra into the back of her pants, the only place she had at the moment. It was a good gun, but needed to be able to hold more ammo.

She was expecting a huge fire fight as soon as she rose to her feet, but that didn’t happen. She was met with silence. She glanced at the smirking drell and chuckled. “I take it this greeting is your doing?”

“Siha, you should know by now that I will always take care of things,” Thane murmured with amusement. “But not all of these are my doing. I didn’t get to the ones further on, and yet someone has.”

“I would bet that it’s Javik,” Aaran answered with a smug smirk as they rushed through the halls. She was right in her guess. Javik was waiting for her when they rounded a corner. Her smile widened when she saw him. She purred with delight when his hand lightly brushed against the bruise on her cheek. They grew deeper when she heard his own. She glanced quickly at Thane and saw his amusement.

“We should continue before more come,” Thane warned.

“Let them come. I have a score to settle,” Javik growled fiercely.

“We should get Aaran to safety so that she can get her wounds tended,” Thane reminded him. He smiled smugly when Javik agreed.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the landing pad. She was surprised to see Garrus already there. What really concerned her was the amount of enemies swarming the place. Even with this many of her people in attendance they were still out gunned.

She glanced up quickly when she felt movement. Her eyes widened when she saw Vega arrive with a large gun and a shit eating grin. “We have cover fire,” Aaran stated and nodded toward Vega.

She chuckled when James opened fire, taking out one of the sky cars and many mercenaries. The rest happened fast, too fast for her mind to keep up. She didn’t think she even had a chance to use her gun. Her body still ached. The medigel was wearing off and those broken bones were making themselves known.

Her vision slowly went black. She felt herself swaying and then falling. That was the last she remembered.  

  

 

 


	29. Chapter 29

**Well the plan had been to put up a chapter once a week. Now that is kinda hard with my new schedule. So instead of every week it will be every second week. Hopefully more often but I can’t make that promise, I am doing a job that is night shift so that creates problems when I am sleeping most of the day and don’t see my computer during the day while I sleep.**

**So here is the newest chapter, to warn readers there is a smut at the end. Hope you guys enjoy it. As you noticed I am not following the storyline completely, and that will continue.**

Aaran slowly woke to the sound of a hushed conversation. “How did I know that I would be called in for some injury or another?” an older woman’s voice said. 

“This is Aaran. It’s a given. I had to laugh when she locked us out of the lab. I knew one way or another we would have work to do,” a man replied, filled with amusement. 

“I am just glad that the hospital allowed us to take her back to her house instead of keeping her there,” the older woman murmured. 

“Amen to that. The last time she stayed in the hospital and I was taking care of her the staff nearly threw her out,” he said and laughed. 

“Any idea how to tell her that she has to take it easy?” the older woman asked. 

“Yep, I will leave the room and you can tell her,” the male said with a chuckle. 

“Or I will tell her and the both of you can leave now,” her mate cut in. 

“No one is leaving until I have some water,” Aaran croaked and scowled at the sound of her voice. 

Javik glared at the two doctors and nodded toward the door. He wanted to be alone with Aaran and they were interfering. He smirked as they walked out with grins on their faces. 

He grabbed the mug of water that he had brought in with him and sat on the bed next to her. He closed his eyes, softly purring as her hand brushed his. Images came to him, her body surrounding his as they moved together. His brow furrowed as he tried to remember when this had happened. They had only been together twice and neither of them was like this. 

Another image came to him. He had her pinned against a wall, his teeth set on her neck as he drove himself into her. Once again he didn’t know these images. He would have said they were her imagination, but the feelings behind them showed that she experienced this with him. It made no sense to him. He thought about delving deeper and finding out where these memories came from, but decided against it. Instead he chose to ask directly and hoped she would answer him. 

He took the cup from her and helped her move to a sitting position. “What did you see that has you so quiet?” Aaran asked nervously. She wasn’t used to Javik being so silent. 

Javik didn’t answer.Instead he took her hand in his and showed her the images that had appeared to him. He smirked as her frills turned red and started swelling. His purr deepened when her hand spasmed and her body shifted uncomfortably. Her scent came to him, a sweet aphrodisiac that beckoned to him. 

“I take it that you are wondering when those images happened?” Aaran asked nervously. 

Javik met her eyes and nodded slowly. Aaran took a deep breath and stared down at the covers. “It started while we were tracking down the Collectors,” she said quietly. A breathy sigh escaped her as Javik’s slick tongue ran along her frills. His purrs aroused her more as the vibrations thrummed through her. 

“Continue,” he rumbled against her skin. 

She moaned low, not carrying if she continued. She just didn’t want him to stop. His nip reminded her to continue. She groaned in annoyance. “It started shortly after Horizon. At that time I only knew you as Commander,” Aaran said with a scowl when he stopped to listen to her. 

“That long ago,” Javik murmured with a smirk. He met her eyes and saw uncertainty in them. His smirk grew into a grin. He lowered his mouth to her, tasting her, needing her. He groaned deeply when her hands brushed against his frills and he deepened the kiss; pressing her against the pillow.

He stopped when he felt her pain and then heard the hiss. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he watched her try to hide the pain. “I can feel it,” Javik told her. “We will continue this at a later time when the turian isn’t pacing outside the door.” 

Aaran’s gaze snapped to the door, but she didn’t see Garrus there. She looked uncertainly at Javik. “Turian, you can come in now,” Javik growled as he gently climbed off of Aaran. 

Garrus walked into the room, grinning. “You two should be downstairs planning,” Garrus murmured and chuckled as Aaran blushed. He glanced at Javik to see his annoyance, but didn’t really care. The doctor had told him that Aaran wasn’t up for what Javik had planned. 

“We will be down there eventually, Turian,” Javik bit out with a glare. 

“You realize Mordin will make his way here when Aaran doesn’t show soon,” Garrus warned him with a smirk. 

“It’s been a while since I had salarian liver,” Javik grinned at the thought. 

“Yes, well, you won’t be having my liver any time soon. Need to do scans on Shepard,” Mordin stated as he walked into the room with his scanner out. 

Javik groaned and rolled his eyes. He glared at Aaran when he heard her chuckle. “This is not amusing,” Javik groused. 

“Oh yes it is. Now go downstairs. I’ll be down there shortly,” Aaran ordered, assuming her ‘commander’ posture. As she planned Javik nodded slowly and left the room. She glanced at Mordin to see amusement in his eyes. “So why do you need to scan me?” 

“Don’t actually. Only way I could get the prothean to leave so you two didn’t mate until you wounds were fully healed. Heard about last mating. Body not quite ready for that much damage again,” Mordin explained and then walked out of the room. 

“What in the spirits did you do that has Mordin so worried?” Garrus asked and then his eyes widened. “Forget I asked that. I…uh… will meet you downstairs.” Aaran laughed as Garrus hastily left the room.

~ooooooooooooooo~

Aaran finally made her way downstairs, a grin lighting her face. She had exited her room to find Javik waiting for her just outside. She shook her head as she watched Javik glare at Mordin. It wasn’t sexual by a long shot. The look reminded her of her stepfather when he was watching the meat cook and wondered if it was tender enough. 

“Salarian is not on the menu,” Aaran reminded him with amusement. 

“What about the fish in your cabin?” Javik asked in a low voice so that no one could overhear him. 

“Javik, is that why I had to replace two missing fish?” Aaran asked, her eyes turning dark amber as she faced her mate. 

Javik took a step back. “I think Garrus wished to speak to me about something,” Javik stated quickly before leaving in haste. 

Aaran watched him move swiftly away. “Chickenshit,” she mumbled, glaring at the prothean’s back.

“Wow, Lola, what put you in a sour mood all of a sudden?” Vega asked as he came into the living area. 

“Do you think there is any way to set a trap on the fish tank in my room on the Normandy?” Shepard asked with a smirk as the idea came to her. 

“Sure, but your best bet is to ask Tali or one of the techies. Why?” James asked. 

“To get revenge,” Aaran murmured with a huge grin. Her grin widened when Vega chuckled.

~ooooooooooooooooo~

She talked to everyone, and now her plan was complete. Tali and Garrus would secure her fish tank against the prothean. Hopefully that would solve the ‘missing fish’ problem. She glanced around, smiling softly as she watched her crew milling about comfortably. It was good to see, especially during wartime. It appeared that everyone needed this. She hadn’t realized how strung out they had all been.

Garrus was arguing with Javik. Thane was with a small group talking about their battle to stop the Collectors - reliving the mission for the newer members. Shepard listened in on the conversation and had to laugh. They were talking about the good times on the ship - the funny moments that happened in the midst of battle. 

She spotted Liara and Brooks standing off to the side. Aaran grinned menacingly and marched over to them. She relaxed when silence descended behind her. She could feel her shipmates moving closer, watching intently. She guessed that they knew what was going to happen. A part of her wondered how they felt about it, but she didn’t truly care. This woman was hiding something from her and she needed to see it. 

She stopped when she was directly in front of the woman. “What are you hiding?” she asked coldly and watched her intently. 

“Nothing,” the woman answered hastily. 

Aaran didn’t bother asking again, nor did she ask permission. Quickly she grasped the woman’s arm, her tight grip causing her pain. Aaran closed her eyes, readying herself the bombardment of images, but there was something wrong. No images came – nothing!  The woman was utterly blank! That couldn’t be! 

“Javik,” she called out. In seconds she felt his presence beside her, one hand resting on her shoulder while his other reached out to grasp the woman. 

“Odd and impossible. This can’t be,” Javik murmured, his voice uneasy. 

“That’s what I thought,” Aaran hissed. “Either she is really good at hiding or…” 

“What are you suggesting?” Javik asked, gazing at her with inquisitive eyes. 

“I don’t know. She’s the first person I have encountered that I haven’t been able to read,” Shepard muttered, scowling. 

They both let her go and didn’t bother asking how she had kept them at bay. It would have been useless. They were pretty sure that she would lie. Aaran glanced back at her team and noticed that they were eyeing this new woman with distrust.         

“Shepard, I found who the gun belongs to,” Liara cut in, easing the tension with her words. 

“Who does it belong to and where do I find them?” Aaran asked sharply as she watched Liara bring up a screen. 

“He’s at the casino. You’ll be looking for an Alijah Khan. There is a high chance that he is locked in his office,” Liara warned. 

“Great, so that means stealth,” Aaran grinned and turned to Thane. 

“My arm is yours, Siha,” Thane murmured with a slight bow. He glanced quickly at Javik when he heard the prothean growl and a taunting smirk creased his lips. 

“Javik, enough,” Aaran muttered with a scowl at her mate. She shook her head when the growl quieted but didn’t vanish. Only the humans couldn’t hear them. 

“Shepard, using Thane might be a problem,” EDI stated. 

“What? Why? He can get inside easily,” Aaran stated. 

“Not with this security,” EDI said and brought up the security system diagram. 

Thane looked over the schematics for the security and knew EDI was right. “She’s right, Siha. I would be detected as would everyone else,” Thane said quietly. “We all carry too much tech.” 

“Shit,” Aaran muttered and glanced at each of her team mates. She only had one choice and she didn’t like it one bit. She didn’t trust the woman, not in the least, but it looked like she would have to use her. That irked her. “It looks like you are going in, Brooks,” Aaran stated coldly.

“What? Me? I have no training for this,” Brooks exclaimed, panic etching her voice. 

“We have no choice. If I want to find out who’s hunting me and why, you need to go in,” Shepard said. 

“Ok. Uhh… what do I have to do?” Brooks asked nervously as she glanced around at the team. 

“Thane, if you were to break in here what would be the best way?” Aaran asked. 

“Through the ducts. You’ll need to alter video feeds and distract some guards. Once she’s in the ducts there will probably be more security.” Thane warned. “With the team nearby there shouldn’t be problems.” 

“Then we’ll play it by ear,” Aaran muttered as she stared at the holograph of the security system. She didn’t like it, but it was the best they could do. A grin came to her face. Now she could suit up properly, and have her guns back where they belonged. 

“But first we need to go shopping,” Liara said with a huge grin. 

“Liara, I don’t like the look on your face,” Aaran said, panic lacing her words as she backed up from the table. 

“Shepard, you need to be dressed up for this. I can get you tickets to get in, but you still need to dress up,” Liara said with a grin.

“Tickets to get in. What are you talking about?” Aaran asked nervously. 

“There is a fundraiser going on. It’s a black tie event,” Liara answered, chuckling softly at Aaran’s horrified look. 

“I am not wearing a dress!” Aaran growled. 

“If you want to get close to Khan, you have to wear a dress,” Liara retaliated with a smug grin. 

“Liara, there not a chance in hell am I wearing a dress!” Aaran hissed, a warning scent coming off of her. 

Javik took a step back, chuckling. He watched everyone else do the same. Some left the table entirely to give the asari and his mate room. Javik moved back until he could lean against the closest wall. He scowled as Thane and Garrus stood beside him. He looked toward the others and noticed a few people exchanging money. 

“You wore a dress during Samara’s and Kasumi’s missions,” Liara reminded her reasonably. 

“Trust me I remember. I hated it then, too,” Aaran reminded her. 

“And yet you did it. This is no different,” Liara said, shrugging her shoulders. 

“Liara, I will not wear a dress and that is final,” Aaran snapped coldly. 

“Then you won’t be able to get to Khan, and you’ll never figure out who is after you and why,” Liara stated, her anger and frustration showing. 

“Then we’ll find another way,” Aaran said, feeling more calm now that there was a way out. 

“I would bet that once this gala is over, he will disappear and we won’t be able to find him,” Liara told her. “That means you will have lost your chance. You sure you can live with that?” 

“SHIT!” Aaran snarled. 

Javik watched the exchange with interest. He ignored the chuckling drell and turian. He bit off a purr when Aaran’s scent came to him and he saw her frills beginning to swell. He enjoyed her in this mood very much and wanted to get her alone now, not later. 

He decided to step in. This argument could wait till later. He grasped her by the shoulder and he was expecting her to turn on him in anger. He purred his delight when her anger was turned to him. He watched her frills engorge more, her eyes turning a darker amber color. He hissed at her and sniffed the air. Her scent changed. She was calling to him instead of warning him away. 

The crew members watched as the two protheans walked out of the room and headed up the stairs. “Any bets that they break the bed?” Joker offered with a smirk. 

Thane and Garrus glanced up when they heard something smash to the floor. “Do you think the bedroom will survive?” Garrus asked with wide eyes when he heard a growl. There weren’tmoans, groans or any sound that he was expecting from a human. Instead there were hisses, growls, loud purrs and other noises that he couldn’t quite place. 

“I don’t think anything in the room is going to survive. I am glad she is not my mate. I do not think I would survive,” Thane muttered with a grimace as they heard something else hit the floor. 

“I know what you mean,” Garrus chuckled. He glanced at the table to see the money growing with each bet. He knew as soon as Aaran heard of this she would be pissed. He wasn’t sure how Javik would react. 

~ooooooooooooooooooooo~

Aaran growled when the door slammed closed behind them. Javik hissed when she almost embedded her teeth in her neck. He growled his warning, shoving her roughly against the nearest wall. He leaned down, taking in her scent, and purred his pleasure at her scent. 

Her emotions were tumbling through him. He could feel each touch against her body. He could feel the pleasure he was giving her as if it was his own. He heard something crash to the floor as they moved around the room, but didn’t bother looking to determine the damage. 

He snarled his pleasure when Aaran set her teeth against his frills, drawing a small amount of blood. The rest of his blood was already in his nether regions, where her hand was stroking him through the thin material. 

He tilted his head up, hoping that she would reach the erogenous zone beneath his jaw. A growl caught in his throat when her tongue hit the sensitive glands, stimulating them until his frills began to weep. Javik reached up, lightly touching her frills to find them dry; not yet fully stimulated. He lifted her, pinning her against the bookshelf and forced her headback. He licked the glands until they started to swell, then suckled them until she was panting and moaning in his arms. Her frills were drenched with sweet tasting nectar. He licked her frills and moaned softly as he felt her do the same. 

His hands went to the belt of her pants to find them already gone. He didn’t need any more hints; with one harsh thrust of his hips he sheathed himself deep within her. He held her still, giving himself time to get his body back under control. The fact that he could sense her feelings didn’t help matters. He knew what he felt like within her and he could feel her on the brink of orgasm. Without using his senses he could feel her muscles clenching around him. He was being overwhelmed. 

“Javik, if you don’t move I will!” Aaran groaned as she shifted, needing the stimulation that friction would bring. 

Javik gave into his desires and withdrew to slam back into her. He wasn’t gentle. He didn’t want to be gentle. With each thrust of her hips, her frills wept more. The frills lower on their bodies were stuck together. They had sealed together just as he was locking with her. He could feel himself swelling, filling her more. 

Her cries were music to his ears. His head bowed as his vision went white when his release hit him. He pressed himself as deep as he could within her, his body taut for the longest time as he emptied himself. He bowed his head, his forehead pressed against hers and purred contentedly. 

He let his mind relax and his eyes flew open wide. A panicked trill left him. He met Aaran’s eyes and wondered if she knew….  

 


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the next chapter. Everything in bold they are speaking Prothean.   
> Now to warn you, I won't be following the Citadel's questline the way it was in the game.

Chapter 30

Aaran moaned softly. She had dozed for a bit, but sleep hadn’t been as restful as she wanted. She glanced over at her mate and found him still awake. “ **Why are we still locked**?” Aaran asked quietly. 

“ **My body is reacting as if you are in heat** ,” Javik answered. He shifted slightly, pulling her on top of him. 

“ **Does that mean** …” She couldn’t ask the question. She didn’t want children in the middle of a war. That was the last thing they needed. 

“ **Nothing more is going to happen that hasn’t already** ,” Javik answered. He kept his eyes closed and focused on blocking her from reading him. He didn’t think it would work, but it was worth a try. He needed to think everything through before sharing the news with her. He could just imagine her reaction and knew that it wouldn’t be good.

“ **What does that mean**?” Aaran growled.

Javik’s eyes snapped open and worry flooded him. He needed to distract her and quickly or she would figure it out. With a taunting smirk he nipped her frills, making her moan. He moved his hips; not thrusting, but creating friction. Right now he couldn’t thrust deep within her if he wanted to. It would harm them both. His grin turned smug when she groaned low. 

Aaran dug her nails into Javik’s shoulder as pleasure swamped her. Their lock added more pleasure. He was filling her completely.

Javik scowled as he heard a knock on the door. There was no way either of them was going to answer. He bit down hard on her shoulder, distracting her from the annoyance at the door. The asari had the worst timing. 

“Shepard, when did you want to leave to go shopping?” Liara called out. Mordin was downstairs pacing worriedly. He didn’t think it was a good idea for Aaran to be mating right now. From what she understood - and it was something that she never wanted to know - their mating could be very rough. The salarian didn’t need to tell them that. They could all tell from the previous night’s noise. 

So she had been recruited to interrupt this coupling so that Mordin could check up on Shepard. She didn’t like it, but it had to be. 

“Aaran is occupied, Asari!” Javik snarled as he rotated his hips once more, making Aaran groan loudly. He grinned as he heard the asari’s quickly retreating steps. He turned his full attention to Aaran and watched the pleasure that shone on her face. Her frills were weeping and the fluid trickled down her chest. He could feel the frills between them weeping where they were united. He knew it was going to hurt when they separated, but there was nothing that he could do about that. It was something they would have to live with until she was no longer with child. 

Javik moved slowly, bringing her to the brink once more. He smirked as she collapsed on him. He bit off a sigh of relief when they began to separate. He enjoyed being locked with her, but at the moment they had things to do. There was also the issue of the secret he needed to hide. Blocking her from reading him was tiring. 

Aaran lay there panting, her system so relaxed that she didn’t want to move. It worried her that she hadn’t been able to read anything from Javik. She knew he had distracted her from something important and that bothered her. 

“ **What are you hiding**?” Aaran asked. 

“ **Nothing that should concern you at the moment** ,” Javik stated as he climbed out of bed. He dressed quickly, ignoring his mate’s inquisitive gaze. He needed to do something and hated it, but it was the best thing for Aaran. He would talk to the salarian. He scowled darkly at the thought. He would have preferred avoiding him, but he had to think of Aaran first. 

~oooooooooooooooo~

Mordin shifted nervously as he listened to Javik. He didn’t agree with the prothean’s idea of keeping Aaran in the dark. “If Aaran knows that she is with child it will be harder for her to win this war,” Javik told him. He needed the salarian on his side, no matter what. 

“Aaran should know,” Mordin stated adamantly. 

“Yes she should, but what happens if she does? It is too late to abort the fetus,” Javik said tiredly. He couldn’t believe that he was arguing. He should be demanding. 

“Who says I would abort a fetus and who gave you the right to stop people from telling me that I am pregnant?” Aaran demanded as she stepped into the office. 

“Aaran, I thought that if you knew it would affect your battle strategies and the chance of dying would increase,” Javik said softly. He hated admitting this weakness, but she needed to hear it. 

“Well it’s too late. I know now,” Aaran growled, glaring at her mate. She walked over to him, taking his hand. She was surprised that he didn’t try and hide from her. Pain, fear, despair, happiness, and worry filled their link. She moved closer to him, laying her head on his chest. She understood why he didn’t want her to know. She didn’t like it, but she understood. She took comfort in his presence; just touching him like this was soothing. She purred with delight when his arms surrounded her and he pulled her close.

Javik glared at Mordin when Aaran started holding him. He wanted to return her embrace, but showing that much weakness in front of another was more than he could endure. He didn’t bother hiding his worries from her. She was his mate and she needed to know. With another dark scowl at the salarian he held his mate close, not caring what the intruder said or thought. He could feel that Aaran needed this closeness and he would give her anything she needed; even if it meant that he would be uncomfortable. 

Javik bowed his head, lightly kissing the top of her head. He took in her scent, purring contentedly. Their lives were about to change a lot and he was now even more worried about the war. If she hadn’t been with child he knew they would win, but now he wasn’t sure. 

~oooooooooooooooooooo~

Javik scowled darkly as they walked down a red carpet. He couldn’t believe Aaran had talked him into this. The drell was already inside, and that other female was with them. He didn’t trust her one bit. 

“ **Aaran, did you really have to take the annoyance**?” Javik asked, glaring at the female with them. 

“ **Which annoyance? You seem to think that about everyone** ,” Aaran asked with a grin. 

“ **The one standing next to me. The one that neither of us can read,** ” Javik reminded her. 

“You know it’s impolite to speak in a language that translators cannot interpret,” Brooks stated with a scowl. She assumed that they were speaking in prothean, but couldn’t say for certain. 

“If I wanted you to know what we were saying I would have spoken in a language you would understand,” Javik bit out angrily. 

Brooks’ scowl darkened. She didn’t like the prothean, but she had noticed that the others liked him well enough. “What is your problem?” she asked, glowering at Shepard’s date. 

“You are,” Javik snapped as they stepped into the building. 

Brooks huffed and decided to ignore the prothean. She knew that no matter what she said it wouldn’t make a difference. 

~ooooooooooooooo~

“Siha, she is almost through. You just need to distract the guards,” Thane said over the com. 

Aaran rolled her eyes. She had already spoken to countless people just to play a part. She hated mingling. “Aaran, are you ready for another distraction?” Javik asked with amusement. 

“The only distraction I would like is the one where I shove my gun in someone’s face. My god, they are so full of themselves. This is what I am fighting to protect?” she asked with disgust. 

“No. You’re fight for your friends and their families. You are fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves,” Javik reminded her and lightly touched her stomach. 

“You go distract the guard and I’ll disable the camera so we can get to the back room,” Aaran answered tiredly. 

Javik smiled and moved away to speak with the guard. He would have preferred Aaran’s idea, but that would have gotten them arrested. It would keep her safe, but no one else. Those that were left to guard his mate would be in for a very painful time.

Aaran worked quickly to deactivate the camera. It took only seconds and then Javik was right by her side once more. They moved quickly down the hall, toward the doors that hid Alijah Khan. Javik punched in the code and the doors opened smoothly. Aaran growled low when they saw the dead body, Brooks was nowhere to be found.  

 


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it took forever for this chapter to come out. There were a few reasons, one being time, the next being a huge mistake I did in one of the chapters, now I am trying to fix it. Kinda gave away who the bad guy was too early and it screwed things up slightly. Oh well, finally got that fixed.
> 
> Hopefully now this will go better, very sorry for the very long wait. I can not promise that chapters will be going out every week, it seems things have been far too busy for that. I will put out chapters has quickly as I can, but not sure when.
> 
> Now for another things that needs to be said. For those of you haven’t read all the chapters, you will want to read this, and for those that have this is a recap to understand this chapter. Thane was healed once by Aaran, earlier in the story, plus she was able to read that Drells had dormant genes similar to Prothean. Then Thane was healed by with Javik’s blood, since his blood is a LOT more potent genes that shouldn’t have woken yet has. I needed to clear that up. 
> 
> For those who have read other Thane stories of mine then you know I always have frills lower on the belly, usually as a secondary stimulus area, this time its different. Sorry for the long note but wanted to clear all this up first. Hope everyone enjoys the chapter.

Aaran paced the upper floor. Everyone was smart enough to leave her alone at the moment. She still couldn’t figure out how the bitch had escaped. It should have been impossible to get out of that room without being noticed by Thane, Javik or herself. She even had Liara and EDI scan the damn building so it made no sense at all.

“Aaran…”

Javik didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence before he was answered with a deep rumbling growl. It was a clear warning that she wished to be left alone. He backed down the stairs slowly, never once taking his eyes off of her until she was out of sight.

“Where is she?” Garrus asked.

“Still pacing. I value my life too much, Turian, to bother her right now,” Javik snapped as Garrus chuckled.

“And that is why I sent you up there,” Garrus answered with a loud laugh before walking away. He was still smirking when he arrived beside EDI, Liara and Thane. They were looking over the schematics of the building, searching for the illusive exit that they had missed. “Found anything yet?”

“Yes. It is a small opening, but one that I would have used if I’d seen it earlier,” Thane explained; enlarging the area to show the escape. It was an air shaft. Garrus wasn’t sure it was big enough for a human to fit through. Now they just needed to figure out her identity and that of her employer. It looked like Javik and Aaran had a right to be paranoid of her.

“Have we figured out who she is or who she is working for?” Garrus asked tiredly.

All glanced up when they heard Aaran growl once more. Thane shook his head. Apparently someone was stupid enough to approach her. He glanced around quickly to see James smirking as he walked back down the stairs.

“Leave her alone, Human. I will not defend you against her,” Javik warned with a scowl.

James was shaking his head in amusement. “Why is she so pissed? This can’t be the first time something didn’t go as she planned,” he said.

“She’s a pregnant prothean with human tendencies,” Javik muttered. He glanced up at his mate to see her pacing once more. The low rumbling growl was a dead giveaway. Her combined genetics seemed to have made her more volatile.

 **“Aaran, we have found out how the bitch escaped,”** Javik called up to her.

 **“How did that fucking bitch escape?”** Aaran snarled, leaping from the upper balcony to the floor. She needed to know. It was driving her crazy. She hated that she had been duped, but she should have been more careful once she knew that they couldn’t read her.

 **“Your drell found a small opening that a human could fit through. He said that it is what he would have used,”** Javik explained quickly, ignoring the curt looks from the others.

 **“And why wasn’t this pointed out earlier?”** she asked coldly.

 **“The drell only saw it after a thorough search of the building. It is something that should have been noticed earlier,”** Javik answered, lightly reprimanding both Aaran and her crew.

 **“Ha! Like you can talk. You didn’t see it, either. If you did and didn’t say anything, then this is your fault!”** she retorted. She could feel her anger building at that thought. She knew she was being irrational, but didn’t care.

 **“It wasn’t my job to look at the schematics. Nor did I have a chance to, mate. If I remember correctly I was busy making you beg on your bed,”** he said leering at her, purring softly when he smelled her reaction to his words.

Aaran rubbed the burning flesh of her lower belly. It had been bothering her since she had come back. She hadn’t bothered saying a word. As far as she was concerned there was no need. She was tired and definitely not up to Javik’s activities right now.

 **“You’ll have to wait to have your lusts sated. Right now there are more important matters,”** Aaran said calmly, scowling at her mate.

**“Aaran?”**

**“It’s nothing, Javik,”** she said quickly, backing away from him when he moved toward her.

“You need nutrients. The child needs more than what you have,” Javik explained and lightly touched her belly where their child lay. He lifted her shirt slightly, tugging down her pants to expose the two frills lower on her abdomen. They were engorged and weeping slightly. “Come with me,” he murmured, taking her hand and leading her back upstairs.

Javik sat her down on the bed, stripping out of his armor quickly. He pulled his pants part way down, exposing his own frills. “Come. You need this,” he said, laying on the bed and pulling her on top of him. He winced slightly when their frills met, connecting. He held her gently in his arms as her body fed from him through the frills. His thoughts drifted to the long past when he was young and his people were rulers of the universe.

_“Javik, what are you doing?” his mother asked as he stood staring at them. His mother was pregnant with their second child._

_“What are you and dad doing?” Javik countered as he watched his mother straddling his father’s lap._

_“Feeding. The babe needs food,” she answered him. Yet he still hadn’t understood._

_“How? Nothing is going into your mouth,” he commented, climbing onto the couch beside them; trying to see what was going on._

_His mother lifted his shirt, pointing out the frills on his belly. They were newly formed red slits. “By these. When you are older and you have a mate, this is what you will use to help her when she is low on nutrients,” she explained to him with a soft smile._

_“But how?” he asked, still not understanding._

_“My frills meet his and the babe gets the nutrients he or she needs from your father. It’s like sharing,” she tried to explain to him._

_“Will it work with the frills on my neck?” he asked inquisitively._

_“No, that is for something else. You’ll learn that later. Right now you don’t need to know,” his mother stated sternly. He glanced at his father when he heard him chuckle. It wasn’t something that was often heard, but it helped ease his mind._

_“How long does it take?” he asked, trying to peek beneath his mother shirt at her frills._

_“As long as it takes. Sometimes minutes, sometimes hours,” she answered, lifting her shirt slightly, showing him where she and his father were connected at the belly._

Javik forced himself from the memory, noticing a slight smile on Aaran’s face. He knew without having been told that he would need to consume double his current caloric intake in order to help. Aaran had a bad habit of forgetting to eat, so the probability of needing his help was high.

~oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo~

Mordin wished he was back on the Normandy. There were a few things that he wanted to check out. He knew the timing of Aaran’s pregnancy was bad. He was happy for her, but it was still too dangerous.

What he really wanted to do was see what Javik was doing to help her. He had heard them speaking, at least the parts that were spoken in common, and it had piqued his curiosity. Prothean physiology was so different from other races, and he wanted to learn everything that he could. He had already learnt a lot from Aaran, but he knew that there was more.

He was pretty sure that he could make a stasis tube for the baby to grow in. The salarians had been doing that for the longest time, especially when a contract demanded it. He wondered if the same thing could be used for Aaran. It would be better than always having the child in danger.

He really wanted to be on the Normandy…

~ooooooooooooooooooooooo~

Liara stared at her computer, nearly slapping herself at her stupidity. She should have known that the woman worked for Cerberus. She should have seen this coming a mile away.

She glanced around the room, hoping Aaran had returned. Unfortunately Javik didn’t appear to be done with her. She thought it had been sex, but that wasn’t it. It was too quiet for that.

“What is it, Liara?” Garrus asked.

“That woman worked for Cerberus,” Liara answered quietly.

“Why the ruse?” Garrus murmured, not liking the sound of it. “They usually attack outright?”

“I don’t know. I can’t seem to find a reason. Something just isn’t right,” Liara muttered.

“No, you are right. There is more to this, but what?” Garrus wondered.

“What is it?” Thane asked as he came up to them.

“Cerberus - that woman worked for them,” Garrus told him.

“Hmm. I’ll check with some of my contacts and see if anyone knows anything,” Thane murmured.

“I’ll check with my operatives and see if they know anything,” Liara stated, turning back to her computer as Thane left.

~ooooooooooooooooo~

Thane stayed in a darkened corner, watching everyone while he awaited replies to his request. He gently rubbed his lower belly, unsure what was going on. Lately it had been burning. It didn’t hurt, but it was uncomfortable. He had never experienced anything like it before.

There had been a few changes since Javik had donated blood to him. He wondered if this was what Aaran had been talking about. He remembered her saying that he had dormant genes and some were similar to what she could do.

He glanced towards the stairs, his eyes widening. Javik was walking down. He looked very haggard. Thane would have sworn that he hadn’t eaten in days. The burning intensified so much that he winced.

Javik stumbled down the stairs, he knew there was no grace to the way he was walking. He didn’t care, he felt like he just went to war on his own, fought the whole Reaper fleet and barely survived. His head hurt, along with his stomach. He was starving; Aaran had taken more than he thought she would.

He paused when a scent came to him, a familiar one from his childhood. It was sweet, comforting. He glanced around trying to find its source and what he found didn’t sooth him one bit. The drell was standing there watching him, rubbing his lower abdomen with an annoyed look. He didn’t need to be told what was causing the drells discomfort. He thought about not saying a word and enjoying the drells discomfort, but Aaran and his child needed this man right now. It irked him to no end that he had to depend on the drell.

“Go upstairs and feed her drell, I can’t anymore,” Javik stated and headed to the kitchen. Thane looked at him incredulously, not understand what was required from him.

Slowly he walked upstairs. Aaran was laying on the bed with her pants partly pulled down. Only her lower frills were showing. They were weeping and very engorged. The tired look from earlier was gone, but she still looked underfed. Her ribs were showing more than usual.

“What is it, Thane?” Aaran asked. Her energy was up, but not enough. She still felt weak and would never say a word to anyone. After her anger had dwindled she noticed that she was very low on energy. Javik had seen what she had not.

“Javik sent me up here and told me to feed you,” Thane answered, shifting uncomfortably.

“Uh…” Aaran stuttered, unsure what to say. She saw Thane’s uncertainty and understood it.

“Aaran, let him feed you. I can’t now,” Javik said from the doorway. He walked in with two plates of food in his hands. He passed one to Aaran and took a seat on one of the nearby chairs. He had never been this drained and he was glad that someone could help him; even if it was the drell. He would never admit it out loud and definitely not to the drell. It was bad enough that Aaran knew.

“Are you sure?” Aaran asked worriedly. She knew how territorial Javik could be.

“In this, yes,” Javik stated and turned back to his plate; ignoring them. He didn’t want to see what they did. He knew he could trust the drell with Aaran, but it still irked him. So he wasn’t leaving the room no matter what.

“What do I do?” Thane asked with a sigh. It seemed that he had no choice in this awkward situation. He could see Javik couldn’t do what he was asking of him and Aaran needed him. He wondered why Javik didn’t ask Garrus or another. He knew the prothean hated him.

“The frills lower on your abdomen - place them on hers. Your body will do the rest,” Javik said between mouthfuls.

Thane swallowed thickly. He undid the button of his pants, exposing his frills and slowly climbed onto the bed. Slowly he laid on top of Aaran, and he gasped when their frills met. He thought it would be sexual, but it was very far from it. He couldn’t describe the feeling, but it wasn’t something he had ever felt before. He held himself up on his arms; making sure that their frills still touched.

“Relax, Drell. You may be there for a while since Aaran doesn’t feed herself properly,” Javik growled. Seeing the drell on top of his mate was pushing him to the brink of his control.

Aaran heard the growl in Javik’s voice. She rolled quickly, placing Thane beneath her. She lay down on his chest in case Javik loss his senses. She glanced up at Thane’s face. He appeared quite shocked by the whole experience. She was thankful that he kept his hands to the side and didn’t touch her. She wasn’t sure if Javik’s protectiveness could take that.

She tried to move, but worried that it would be impossible. She had remained locked with Javik until he couldn’t give anymore and they separated. She was surprised when she could move easily from Thane.

“Finally,” Javik muttered. “Now eat.”

“Why did this work with Thane?” Aaran asked as the assassin sat up behind her.

“It is in his genes. His physiology is the closest to prothean. It could also be the blood that you and I gave him,” Javik answered with a shrug.

“So if you can’t feed me he has to now?” Aaran asked incredulously.

“It looks like it. I can’t feed you alone. The babe is demanding, as is your body,” Javik murmured, his energy slowly returning. “I would suggest, Drell, that you eat more than normal. If not then the babe and Aaran won’t survive.”

Thane smirked. “My body is hers,” he taunted, enjoying the anger on Javik’s face.

“Your frills are hers. Any other part below that she will not see or use, Drell,” Javik growled low.

“Enough you two. How often will I have to do this?” Aaran asked, changing the subject quickly.

“Once a day, maybe more. It seems that you burn more energy that would a prothean woman,” Javik answered with a shrug. 

“Great. So when am I supposed to have time to fight this war?” Aaran asked snidely.

“When you and the babe are not in danger of starving,” Javik retorted coldly.

“Figures you would say that,” Aaran grumbled, climbing out of the bed. Thane was already standing nearby, looking as immaculate as ever.

~oooooooooooooooooooooooo~

Thane sat on the couch. He had just finished eating and took Javik at his word. He ate more than he usually would and it was needed. He hadn’t been as drained as Javik, but he had felt the effects of Aaran’s feeding.

He reread the information he’d just received. It seemed that someone was planning to hit the Archives for some unknown reason. His gut told him this was the information they had been seeking. He thought about giving this information to Aaran right away, but Mordin was with her. So that would have to wait.

He glanced over at Javik. The man was eating once more, his plate full. Usually Thane would have raised a brow ridge at this, but after what happened upstairs he thought it was a very good idea. He even thought of grabbing a second plate for himself.

“Thane, I’ve never see you eat so much,” Garrus murmured as he took a seat near him.

“It seems that it will be the norm for me for a while,” Thane murmured before taking another bite of food.

“Why is that?” Garrus asked with a sly glint in his eyes.

“Not for the reasons you are contemplating,” Thane grumbled.

“Uh-huh, sure,” Garrus mocked before rising to his feet and walking off.

Thane scowled. He wondered how many others were having the same ideas. With a shake of his head he headed to the kitchen and refilled his plate once more. “I have never eaten so much… ever,” Javik grumbled as he finished his plate.

“How long will we have to do this?” Thane asked.

“Until the child comes. I don’t remember my father becoming this tired with my mother,” Javik answered, taking a seat on one of the chairs.

“And how long will she be pregnant?” Thane asked taking a seat beside Javik.

“A year, unless her human genes take over,” Javik murmured with a slight smile.

Thane sat there dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected that. A year! That was a long time for this to go on. But Shepard had saved him and he would do anything for her. He now knew what he would be doing after this war, if they all survived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will this be a Thane/Javik/Shepard romance, don't know yet, I'll leave it up to my readers. For those who want that say so, for those who don't put your word in too. Which ever has the most will win. 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter guys, ;let me know what you think.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry people I didn't use a beta with this chapter, hope you enjoy it anyways.

**Chapter 32**

Garrus shook his head, he had done a lot of crazy things since meeting Aaran, but this one topped everything. Everyone; as in everyone who had served with her since the Normandy SR 1 was now running around the Citadel Archives searching for a signal. The amusing part, they didn’t know what they would find, nor did they really know who the enemy was. All they knew was an ex Cerberus agent had it out for Shepard, which wasn’t surprising, but other than that, nothing.

He glanced around quickly, spotting the other teams. Everyone including him was enjoying this, bring back old times with the banter on the coms. He watched Aaran for a moment, she was in her element, her mate at her side. Then there was Thane, he didn’t know what in the hell happened up in their room, but Javik had a new nickname for him. Instead of calling him the drell, he was now called food. Garrus smirked, he wasn’t sure what to think of the change but Thane hadn’t said much. He didn’t expect Thane to say more, he knew Thane would do something to irk Javik.

“The signal is getting stronger,” Thane murmured.

“We are in a building filled with enemies, heading towards a signal that we don’t know what it is. Does anyone else see a problem with this?” Javik asked ironically.

“You’re with Shepard now, this is the usual, you should know that,” Garrus retorted.

“It’s odd that one annoying female can get this many people fighting for her. I believe she is not the leader in this,” Javik stated.

“What was your first clue?” Aaran said, shaking her head in amusement. Javik’s statement was a given, the woman wasn’t smart enough to coordinate this.

“When my people ruled, we did not use this as an archive. Primitives, this place has a much better use than this,” Javik said, making sure his disgust showed. He smirked when he noticed Garrus’ shoulders tensing and the food ignoring him.

“Javik, I don’t want to know what our people used this for,” Aaran growled low, warning clear in her voice. Her eyes narrowed when Javik was about to continue. “Javik!”

“Fine, but you might have learned something,” Javik grumbled.

“I will be learning something very soon,” Aaran retorted with a menacing grin.

“I don’t want to know, not with that look in your eye. It would be better for you to turn that anger to our enemies,” Javik warned, slowing his pace so he wasn’t so close to his mate. He didn’t trust that look in her eyes at all.

Garrus snickered, quickly covering it up with a cough. He really didn’t want Aaran’s attention turned towards him.

Garrus stopped dead at what he saw up ahead. It couldn’t be, there was no way in hell what he was seeing was true. He gaze switched to Aaran, then back to this other Shepard who was waiting for them in a room. The rest of the team was around, staring with the same stunned he wore.

“What the fucking hell?” Aaran snarled as she stormed over to the woman. They were identical, in looks, at least. “Who the fuck are you?”

Javik watched his mate as she moved to the other woman. He didn’t need his sense of smell to tell him which was his mate while they stood side by side. Aaran’s frills were a deep shade of red than the other.

“I’m you obviously,” The other woman purred giving them a mocking smile.

“You may look like me, but you are not me,” Aaran hissed.

“No, I am just what they were going to use if something on you needed replacing,” the other Shepard spat. “But I am more like you than you think.”

Aaran hissed, grabbing the woman by the arm, she dug her nails deep within her clones skin grinning when she heard her hiss. Images filled her, swamping her. She saw it all, everything that was planned, but it was too much, way too much for her to handle. She opened her mouth to call for her mate, instead a fist met her mouth, jarring her. She stumbled back, wiping the blood trickling from her lip.

“What the fuck was that?” the clone asked, her voice soft, fear entering her eyes. A shit eating grin formed on Aaran’s mouth, she laughed.

“Something that it seems you can’t do. You maybe my clone but you are not me,”Aaran murmured, chuckling softly. “Taking my id won’t change a thing, anyone of my people here will know you for a fraud. And those on the ship… they will figure it out very quickly. As for the council, once one of them meet you…. Well let’s say you fucked.”

“And that is where you are wrong. You’re a specter, no one will question me,” her clone snarled. “Kill them all!”

Aaran’s eyes widened as her men opened fire. Her eyes widened further as her men moved without orders. She watched as the enemies dropped one by one. Each of her men taking care of business like usual. Thane had disappeared, killing swiftly, without the enemy noticing him. Garrus was sniping along with Zeead. Grunt was doing what he did best. She watched as Grunt barreled through them, laughing. Biotics filled the room, taunts thrown around. Now she understood what other people saw when they fought. Now she understood why people stood in awe just as she was doing, or the look of fear on their enemies face. Her team mates made an art of fighting, it was an intricate dance that they mastered. The best thing about watching all this happen around her, she didn’t need to fight. She never really had a chance, they were cleaning the room quickly and efficiently.

Though the look alike bitch of hers was gone. Escaping before anyone had a chance. She glanced around quickly and spotted Thane nearby just finishing another enemy. “Thane!”

“Siha?” he questioned, while doing the final move on the man in his grip.

“Trail her, keep me informed,” Aaran ordered and grinned as the assassin disappeared. She still couldn’t figure out how he did it, but right in plain view he was gone.

She followed her team up the ladder not really worried about the few that were following her. She trusted her team to cover her. It would only take one of them, maybe two if they wanted to play with them.

Her mouth dropped as not one gun goes off but all of them. She looks up to see all her people lined up unloading on _four_ idiots. “Overkill much?” she asked innocently, not able to hide her amusement one bit.

“They should have known better to fire on you. So we reminded them,” Garrus drawled.

“Uh huh, right,” Aaran mocked them, trying to hold her laughter in.

“Where did you send the food?” Javik asked with a sneer.

Aaran rolled her eyes at her mate. It annoyed her that he called Thane food, but trying to get her mate to call him something else was pointless. She really didn’t want to know what new nickname he would come up with.

“Searching a head for me,” Aaran answered with a warning growl.

“There is no need to growl, it’s true, he is food for you now,” Javik smirked, shrugging his shoulders in amusement.

“He may be able to help me feed the babe, but he is also the best assassin in this galaxy. Remember that Javik,” She warned her mate.

“ **I will not give a rival of mine any respect!”** Javik hissed angrily. He moved closer, growling low in warning, not stopping until their armor brushed. He smirked as she scented the air, his marking scent strong.

 **“A rival? Do you have so little faith in me mate?”** Aaran asked quietly, her eyes down casted, hurt, and disappointment filling her.

 **“My mate... I am sorry,”** Javik whispered, bowing his head until he touched hers. With this many of her crew watching this was about as intimate as he would go. When they were alone once more, he should show her.

 **“Remember mate, that he is helping us of his own freewill, if it wasn’t for him you would be feeding our babe on our own and he or she wouldn’t survive,”** Aaran reminded him.

Javik sighed, his gut twinging with the knowledge that his mate was right. He placed a light kissed on her forehead ignoring the clearing of throats. He smirked, hearing them shifting uncomfortably he was glad he wasn’t the only one uncomfortable with this show of affection. **“I’ll try and be nicer to the assassin,”** he mumbled against her forehead.

 **“Good, I would hate to have to airlock you,”** Aaran grinned and winked stepping away from him. She glanced at the others, chuckling as they all looked away. **“Let’s continue on.”**

**~oooooooooooooooooooooo~**

“A toothbrush? If anyone had told me this morning that a fucking toothbrush of all things was going to save the Normady I would have spaced them for that delusion,” Aaran muttered still shaking her head at the absurdity of it.

“I would suggest silence Aaran, you wouldn’t want them to know we are here,” Javik whispered harshly, glancing up quickly at the people above them. He ignored Aaran’s annoyed hiss and continued crawling through the ducts. He still didn’t see Thane anywhere, the drell had taken the lead, gliding through the small opening with ease and hadn’t been seen since.

They rounded another bend, almost to the hatch when the shadows before them moved, “Wait, it’s not safe up there yet,” Thane murmured, withholding a chuckle when Javik jumped and hissed.

“What have you seen so far?” Aaran asked as quietly as possible.

“There are only three above us, the rest are in the cargo hold,” Thane answered softly. He nodded, smirking slightly when Shepard nodded her head. Quickly without a sound he lifted the hatched disabling the first guard quietly. He moved to the next, giving the other two time to get out. He didn’t bother with his gun, he didn’t think it would be prudent to alert the other on the ship. He grinned when he heard the growl of displeasure at his back.

“Told you he’s deadly and silent,” Aaran murmured, a shit eating grin on her face.

“We should hurry before they leave Citadel space,” Javik said urgently, his eyes flicking around, keeping watch for more enemy.

“I’ll scout ahead, meet you down in the cargo hold,” Thane stated and disappeared down the shaft once more.

“There is no way to the hold through that shaft,” Javik muttered annoyed as he watched Thane disappear.

“If he went down there, then there is a way, he knows these shafts better than anyone,” Aaran answered and rushed for the elevator.

~ooooooooooooooooooooooo~

A shout sounded out, a hiss of a pain and she didn’t need to told who was hurt. Her eyes narrowed, a feral growl left her as she leapt at her clone. Her teeth going for her neck, her hands gripping her arms hard, all she wanted was this woman dead and then she would take care of the one that had betrayed her.

Thane rushed over to Javik, he flinched when he saw the wound on his chest. He could clearly see tissue fluttering with each breath; he prayed it wasn’t the prothean’s lungs he watched. “Javik, you need to lie still,” Thane murmured as he quickly stripped off his coat, pressing it hard against the gaping wound. Worry ate at him, he needed to slow the blood and quickly. They had no more medigel, something they weren’t able to stock up on beforehand.

He glanced over at Aaran, she wasn’t giving an inch against her double. Right now their commander was out for blood and inflicting the most pain as possible. He had worried about Aaran fighting, but never said a word. Right, he didn’t worry once so ever, the other woman didn’t stand a chance.

Thane watched as Aaran and her double disappeared over the docking ramp, out of the ship. Fear raced through him, his first reaction was to race over and help her, but he couldn’t not with Javik down in bad condition. His worry abated some when Garrus raced towards the ramp and stopped dead. At first he thought that something terrible happened to Shepard, but when he covered his mouth and looked away… that told him more than he wanted to know, something he would be seeing very soon.

Garrus swallowed convulsively when he stopped at the ramp. At first he thought Aaran was holding the woman so she didn’t fall from the ramp but when he actually took a good look he knew he was so wrong. Aaran’s hand disappeared into her stomach, blood drenched the front of armor. The was a chunk missing out of the clone’s throat. It was very easy to tell that the woman was dead, but it didn’t seem to matter to Aaran.

He had to turn his back, or he would have lost everything in his stomach. He heard Aaran say, “This is for harming my mate…” he turned quickly, he didn’t want to see. Sound affects were giving visuals he didn’t want.

“What’s wrong Garrus?” Aaran asked coldly as she climbed back up the ramp. Her clone’s head clutched tightly in her hand.

“You have that in your hand and you are asking me what is wrong?” Garrus asked incredulously.

“I need it to make a very firm point,” Aaran growled low. She tried her best not to look where he mate lay injured. She knew if she did she would lose it. She focused on straight forward, where the one who had betrayed her was.

She could feel an evil cold smile plastering itself to her face. What she was going to do was so different than what she wanted to do. She wanted to rip this woman to pieces but couldn’t, she knew her team would never allow it. “You betrayed me, and with your betrayal my mate is injured,” Aaran murmured softly, her voice sounding strange even to her, but the woman feared that voice, she was shaking where she stood. Aaran tossed the head making sure it landed at the woman’s feet. “A foreshadowing of what is going to happen to you.”

“What? You can’t do that!!” The woman screamed, and yet standing there calmly.

Aaran’s eyes narrowed, she thought for sure that the woman would struggle in her binds, and yet she didn’t. It made no sense unless…

Garrus hissed when the woman hands were all of a sudden free. He glanced at Aaran and turned away when he saw the look in her eyes. He made his way to Javik, the prothean was lying too still on the floor.

“I already gave him all of the medigel, hopefully it will be enough to keep him alive until we can get him to the hospital,” Thane murmured softly. “Where is Siha?”

“Avenging Javik, very brutally, he would be proud of her,” Garrus muttered smirking slightly.

Thane’s eyes widened when he saw Aaran, she had just rounded a crate. Her armor, hair, and skin was covered in blood, there was a wildness in her eyes that worried him. He didn’t say a word when she dropped to her knees before the unconscious prothean.

 **“You are avenged mate, neither shall not bother us again,”** Aaran whispered, holding Javik’s hand tightly as they waited Chakwas.

Javik coughed, his eyes fluttering open, **“You forgot something important, airlocking them,”** he rasped, chuckling breathlessly.

 **“Hmm, they have better uses, our enemies shall fear us now,”** Aaran murmured with a soft smile. **“Now keep still, not more talking. That’s an order Javik.”**

Chakwas is on her way, the Normandy just redocked,” Garrus said quietly, not sure if he should be interrupting the two.

“Good, get her down here quickly, he’s lost a lot of blood, and his heart is beating too slowly. I can barely feel him now,” Aaran whispered hoarsely, fighting the tears that wanted to show themselves.

~ooooooooooooooo~

Joker stepped off the elevator with Chakwas, his eyes widening. Blood, there was so much of it, one torn up body lay sightless, and one head with no body. He swallowed convulsively, his foot slipped slick blood covered floor. He thought for sure he was going down.

He glanced around, anywhere where those bodies weren’t. He didn’t know who did that to those two dead, but he didn’t want them pissed at him.

“Holy shit, what the in the hell happened here?” Joke asked, his voice high when he slipped once more.

“Aaran,” Garrus answered as he walked over to the pilot.

“Shit… Why, I’ve never seen or heard of her doing something like this before,” Joker whispered, his eyes widening.

“Javik is injured and it was those two that harmed him,” Garrus answered glancing quickly towards a kneeling Aaran. He really didn’t want her to over hear any conversations that are about her at the moment. Right now she was holding it together with a thread as humans say. Chakwas was working on Javik, while Thane was holding her back as she snarled and hissed in his grasp. Garrus shook his head, he was glad he wasn’t the one looking after her. He didn’t think he would have been able to.

~oooooooooooooooooo~

Thane stood at the end of two beds, one held Aaran while the other held Javik. They were in the hospital, Javik just went through surgery, done by Mordin. He couldn’t wait to give Javik that news. He glanced at Aaran, they had to sedate her, but were keeping here to monitor since she was with child. Her being the Commander Shepard was probably what got her a room alone with her mate and her own bed.

They were keeping a close eye on her and the babe, he already knew what the problem was, but couldn’t do anything about it right now. She would hate to feed the child where others she doesn’t trust were around.

“Thane, you will have to feed the child. Child is under stress and isn’t good,” Mordin said as he walked over to the drell.

“Did you see what she did on the Normandy? Do you want her to lose it here? She doesn’t trust these people and won’t allow anything that shows as a weakness,” Thane stated, never once taking his eyes off the duo.

“Then we will move her to her new home, there she can feed and rest,” Mordin nodded, giving the order and making sure that it was done quietly. No one would be the wiser that Aaran Shepard was out of it or with child.

  

 


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Thane lay on his back, Aaran was sleeping on his chest still feeding from him. He was the next thing to drain and now understood how Javik felt. “Aaran, we have to stop,” he groaned, his stomach clenching in pain. He needed food desperately, but wasn’t sure if he could move down the stairs right now.

He bit back a hiss of pain when she pulled away from his frills. It felt like she was taking his frills with her. When she left the room he sat up, clutching his stomach, gasping for breath. There was no way he would show this weakness in front of her, he didn’t want her worrying about him also. Javik was still laid up in the hospital.

_“You want me to what?” He had snapped, shocked that Javik was suggesting this. He didn’t trust the prothean enough to jump at the chance._

_“I can’t feed her, now its your job food,” Javik hissed, his agitation to the situation showing clearly. He almost laughed at seeing the prothean uncomfortable._

_“Why? So you can try and kill me once you are free of this place?” Thane mocked, enjoying watching Javik rise to the bait, he knew there was a threating coming soon. He wondered which threat he would use, being thrown out of the airlock or killing him out right. It wouldn’t be the first time he heard either of those threats. He didn’t take them to heart either, not with this man._

_“If I wanted you dead, food, you would be dead already,” He had been surprised by this answer, not expecting it once so ever. Javik’s mocking smirk wasn’t helping him to cover his shock._

_“Try it Prothean and there won’t be another of your kind to take up your cause,” Thane threatened half-heartedly. He couldn’t allow the prothean the upper hand, he just couldn’t do it._

_“I can smell the lie in your words, you wouldn’t kill me,” His eyes narrowed; irked that Javik had called him on it. No in all honesty he couldn’t kill him, because of Aaran, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t let that thought cross his mind once in a while._

_“Enough, feed her,” Javik hissed at him before closing his eyes once more. He gave up on the argument, and allowed the prothean to rest._

Now he was trying to figure out a way to get downstairs without Aaran worry on how depleted he was. That alone wasn’t going to be easy. He groaned as another cramp hit him. He forced himself not to double over, when all he wanted to do roll onto his side and curl up into a ball.

“Wow, you look like shit,” Garrus stated wryly as he walked into the room. He was glad he talked with Javik or he wouldn’t have thought of checking on Thane. The man’s usual green scales were paler than he had ever seen them, he looked like he hadn’t eaten in days. His eyes were clouded over, his usual lean frame actually looked fragile, something he didn’t think was possible. This man had survived through Krepral’s and he looked worse now than when he had the disease.

“Is there something you need Garrus?” Thane asked, forcing himself to sit straight and look normal, and he was very sure he failed.

“I’d ask you the same thing, but its obvious what you need,” Garrus murmured, he thought about ribbing the drell for a bit, but decided just to hand him the food he brought up. He didn’t have it in him to make this man suffer anymore.

“Thank you,” Thane uttered hoarsely. His stomach clenched once more, taking his breath away. He sighed in relief when the first touch of food hit his tongue.

He knew he only had the plate for minutes, but now it sat empty and felt like he hadn’t eaten. “Is there more of this?” He asked hopefully, he didn’t care about hiding his emotions right now, he was too hungry.

“James made a huge batch of this, Aaran, told him you would be very hungry,” Garrus answered, eyes widening watching Thane scarf down the food in moments. He didn’t even think the drell had tasted the food. He wasn’t sure if James had made enough, looks like the humans will be ordering pizza like they wanted to.

~ooooooooooooooooooooo~

Aaran sat beside Javik, the worry that had been eating disappearing. His surgeries had went well, he would be out in a few days. They had thought operating on him would be impossible, since they had no information on Protheans.

But, yet again Mordin saved the day and did the surgeries. “How has he been?”

“Reminds me a lot like you as a patient. No other will come in here, been irate lately,” Mordin stated looking over a datepad in his hand. “Might have to let him out today. The doctors here are fearful.”

“Will he be able to go back in combat?” Aaran asked, her worry coming back ten fold.

“Eventually, will need a week of bed rest, and no matings. Body can’t handle it right now,” Mordin stated, eyes narrowing as he pinned Aaran with a piercing glare.

“You are not serious? What about feeding?” she hissed.

“No, will make him too weak. Thane will have to keep up with the feedings until Javik is fit enough,” Mordin said calmly in the face of Aaran’s anger.

“I can make my own disicions,” Javik growled low. “I will feed my mate.”

“Then will have to keep you here until healed,” Mordin shrugged and grinned as they both narrowed their eyes at him. He wasn’t worried in the least.

“Fine I’ll keep using Thane…” Aaran grumbled, hating that she had to hold back from her mate. She reached over taking his hand into her own and grinned as she sent her thoughts to him. His low groan and twitching of his lower body made her grin wider. She narrowed her eyes at Mordin in challenge.

“The two of you are stubborn and impossible. Release forms will be signed shortly,” Mordin muttered, shaking his head slowly in frustration as he left Javik’s room. He should have known they would find a way around his rules. Well at least touch isn’t as strenuous as their usual way of mating.

~ooooooooooooooo~

Aaran grinned as she heard Javik complaining all the way to their bedroom. Garrus and James were carrying him up there with Mordin following closely behind. Her mate was finally home, now she could relax for a few days. The Normandy was back under repairs since the highjack.

She glanced around her and smirked. Thane was sitting eating, EDI was talking with Joker. Everything was quiet. She walked over to Thane, “Anymore of that stuff?” her stomach growled, his eyes widen and looked at her wearily.

“In the pot,” he motioned. She grabbed a plate, filling it and chowed down. Her brow raised more as Thane dished himself a second dish. Vaguely she wondered if this was the second dish, or had he had more already.

“Mordin just knocked Javik out, so he should be sleeping for a few hour,” Garrus announced as he walked down the stairs with James following him.

“Why did he knock him out?” Aaran asked between mouthfuls.

“Something about him wanting Mordin’s livers. Some type of delicacy in his time. Mordin didn’t take it very well and medicated him,” James answered, grinning. He went over to the pot, lifting the lid, his eyes widened as he found the pot empty and Thane making himself something else to eat.

“It’s gone already?” James exclaimed incredulously. “Shit someone was hungry.”

Thane didn’t bother answering, he was finally feeling normal. Now he was making himself something else incase Aaran needed to feed again, then he would have reserves… he hoped.

~ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo~

Thane lay on the bed beside a wakeful Javik. Aaran lay on his chest sleeping and feeding off of him once more. This time he didn’t feel drained, he had eaten until he could eat anymore. His stomach had hurt and had been bloated. He didn’t care what anyone said, he ate that much for survival.

Thane dozed, ignoring the prothean’s eyes on him. His hands were resting comfortably on Aaran’s back so she didn’t move in her sleep. He didn’t want the pain of their frills being removed from each other early again. The last time had hurt, he would have preferred a gunshot than that.

“She is being well fed while I was gone,” Javik murmured, happy that his mate didn’t suffer with his absence.

“You better be able to feed her soon,” Thane grumbled without opening his eyes. He allowed his body to relax and let sleep claim him when Javik said no more.

~oooooooooooooooooo~

Thane woke slowly his body tensing for a moment. “Don’t move, she is not awake yet,” Javik warned with a low growl.

His eyes snapped open to find Aaran lying in between them, one of his arms trapped beneath her. Both her arms slung over each of them. He tried to move his arm and hissed, the limb has fallen asleep sometime during the night. A prickly sensation formed as he wiggled his fingers to get blood moving once more.

“If you wake her drell, you will have to deal with her since I am bedridden,” Javik warned and closed his eyes once more.

Thane sighed, throwing one arm of his face in annoyance. He didn’t care if he woke, but that he would have to deal with an irate Shepard stopped him. Flashes of her covered in blood after taking out the ones he had harmed Javik really made him hesitate in waking her up.

“I am not going to lay here all day until she wakes,” Thane hissed.

“With the noise the two of you are making, how can I sleep?” Aaran grumbled, sitting up slowly to glare at the two men.

Thane rolled to the side of the bed, he needed to move around. He wasn’t used to being in bed that long. Usually he only had a few hours sleep. He knew he had been sleeping a lot longer than a few hours. He didn’t bother putting on his vest and jacket and he left the room. Right now he needed to food and lots of it for the next feeding.

He was glad James had ordered more food to be cooked last night.

Garrus grinned as Thane walked down the stair in only his pants. He wasn’t positive, but he was pretty sure what happened up there last night. Later he would rib Thane about the threesome he was now in, when Aaran wasn’t in ear shot.

Everyone here thought the same thing and with Thane coming down in only pants…. That said a lot as far as he was concerned.

Thane idly rubbed the bite mark Aaran had given him when he tried to stop her from shifting around so much. He didn’t want her to stop the feeding and have his frills feel like their were being ripped off again. So he held her tightly, pinning her arms to her side. She hadn’t like it and bite him on the shoulder. He ignored the pain and kept her pinned while Javik chuckled beside him.

When she heard Javik snickering the struggle had started. A few scratches, some bled at the time, another bite from her and then he bit her. She seemed to calm after that, Javik had looked at him in approval so he kept a grasp of her shoulder with his teeth until she totally relaxed once more.

After that he fell back to sleep until morning. Now he was starving.


End file.
